Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took a dig at the BJP-led government on Wednesday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 2024-25 Budget in the Lok Sabha. Chidambaram claimed that the administration drew inspiration from the Congress manifesto, citing specific pages where he believed ideas were copied.
“I am particularly happy that she [Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman] had the opportunity to read the Congress manifesto. And she picked the good ideas from page 11 and page 30 and page 31,” Chidambaram stated.
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Chidambaram says more ideas could be beneficially embraced
He sarcastically asked Treasury members to look more into the Congress manifesto, implying that more ideas could be beneficially embraced.
Copying is not prohibited in this House; rather, it is encouraged and rewarded. “So, please copy a little more,” he said.
Opposition claims the budget to be discriminatory
Meanwhile, the Opposition has slammed the NDA administration for what they call a “discriminatory” Budget.
The Union Budget for 2024-25, unveiled on Tuesday, featured large financial packages for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. The budget set aside Rs 15,000 crore for the development of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital, Amaravati, and Rs 26,000 crore for road connection projects in Bihar. Both states are ruled by NDA allies, the TDP and the JD(U).
The opposition criticized the budget, with INDIA Bloc MPs walking out of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to protest what they claimed was a bias against opposition-ruled states.
