The leaders of Opposition’s INDIA bloc parties on Wednesday launched a fierce protest in Parliament against what they called the “discriminatory” Union Budget 2024, claiming that several states have been unjustly ignored.

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, voiced his discontent, stating, “Many didn’t get justice (in Union Budget). We are fighting for justice.”

Echoing Kharge’s sentiments, Congress MP and Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, remarked, “The entire country is upset with the budget. People from all the states are upset because the BJP has failed to solve their basic issues. The compulsion of the government is clearly visible in this budget. INDIA bloc is protesting against the injustice done in the budget…”

Further highlighting regional grievances, Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, “We are protesting for justice to Punjab today. Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have been allocated everything… Flood assistance was also not given to Punjab. Punjab did not give even one seat to BJP and this is the reason the state has been ignored.”

RSP MP NK Premachandran criticized the selective allocation of projects, stating, “There has been total discrimination against some states. Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have been allocated so many projects. In a parliamentary democracy, giving a boost to some states which are giving support to govt is against the spirit of the Constitution.”

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav expressed his frustration over Uttar Pradesh being sidelined, “Forget about giving anything to Uttar Pradesh, it was not even named (in the Budget)… To save the government, they are giving funds to some and ignoring the others.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, who held a placard that read “neglecting Maharashtra will not be tolerated”, sarcastically dubbed the budget as favoring certain states, “This budget is for ‘Ladla Bihar, Ladla Andhra Pradesh, and Ladla Odisha. Andhra Pradesh had asked for a special package but their mouth was shut by giving Rs 15,000 crore to the state…”

Highlighting the widespread spread disappointment, AAP MP Raghav Chadha stated, “Almost everyone is disappointed with this budget except two persons, Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu… All the economic reports conclude that income is not rising but the prices are rising in the country. The government has paralysed the investors of the nation… This budget has angered all sections of society… The penalising provisions brought in this budget should be ended.”

Meanwhile, INDIA bloc chief ministers from Telangana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have decided to skip the upcoming NITI Ayog meeting in protest against the alleged discrimination to their respective states in the Union Budget 2024.