'Mataji Expert In Speaking': Kharge Taunts Sitharaman In Rajya Sabha Over Budget 2024; Finance Minister Reacts

Senior Congress Leader and the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday condemned the Union budget 2024 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing it of discriminating against states. Kharge said that the budget favored only Bihar and Andhra Pradesh (ruled by key allies JDU and TDP), leaving other states empty-handed.

Kharge named states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka as receiving no benefits from the budget. He accused the budget of being designed to please a few people and protect political interests.

Kharge’s Swipe At Finance Minister

Kharge took a jab at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, and said, “I was expecting that I'll get the most. But we didn't get anything."

#WATCH | Before the Opposition walked out of Rajya Sabha over 'discriminatory' Budget, LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "...Yeh kursi bachane ke liye yeh sab hua hai...We will condemn it and protest against it. All INDIA alliance parties will protest...How will… pic.twitter.com/i00BsjXuhL

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2024

As Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar invited Sitharaman to respond, Kharge retorted, “Main bol deta hun. Mataji bolne mein toh expert hain mujhe maloom hai. (Let me finish. Mataji is expert in speaking, I am aware of that.)” Kharge then led opposition walkout and declared that the INDIA alliance parties would protest against it.

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Nirmala Sitharaman Responds

In response, Sitharaman expressed disappointment that the opposition did not stay to hear her reply. “It is unfortunate that the Opposition, particularly Mallikarjun Kharge, chose to leave before hearing my response. In the honour of democracy, I would have expected them to stay,” she said.

#WATCH | On Opposition’s protest against ‘discriminatory’ Budget, FM Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha says,”…In every Budget, you don’t get an opportunity to name every state of this country...The Cabinet had taken a decision to set up a port on Vadavan. But Maharashtra’s name… pic.twitter.com/KSEATuMNpf

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2024

Taking further on Kharge, Sitharaman reminded the grand old party of their previous budgets. “To the point that he (Kharge) raised that I have not named many states, and spoke about only two states. Congress party has been in power for a very long time in this country. They have presented so many different budgets. And they would know clearly that in every budget, you don't get an opportunity to name every state of this country,” she said.

ALSO READ: ‘Can’t Name Every State’: Nirmala Sitharaman's Retort To Oppn’s ‘Discriminatory Budget' Barbs

She defended the budget, saying it is not feasible to mention every state in the budget speech. She cited Maharashtra as an example, highlighting a significant port project in Vadhavan with a Rs 76,000 crore allocation.

Sitharaman called the opposition's allegations "outrageous" and accused them of deliberately misleading the public.