During the Budget debate on Tuesday, the Opposition parties sought discussion on the Wayanad landslide, the train derailment in Jharkhand and the driving centre incident in Delhi, while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the Union Budget.
Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi has urged the government to help with rescue efforts in Wayanad, where a series of landslides have killed over 90 people. “Transport and communication links need to be restored and relief camps set up,” he said. Home Minister Nityanand Rai assured Parliament of the central government’s efforts, saying, “Two teams of NDRF, two units of the Army and two helicopters of the IAF are being deployed for search and rescue operations.” However, Speaker Jagdeep Dhankar ruled out further talks, saying, “The state and central governments are taking similar measures.”
Investigating the reality of train accidents: “Why doesn’t the minister submit a report?”
The Howrah-CSMT Express derailment in Jharkhand, which left two people dead and several injured and raised concerns about rail safety, was also raised in Parliament. TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay said “Rail safety is a challenge and accidents do happen” and called for accountability from the Railway Minister, a demand for accountability that was supported by the Opposition. MP Akhilesh Yadav said “The government must prioritise passenger safety. We cannot afford to lose more lives due to negligence.”
Defend the budget
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman came under heavy criticism for defending the Union Budget, with the BJP accusing the government of ignoring opposition-ruled states and Rahul Gandhi saying the budget “must be rejected by Parliament” and criticising the lack of provisions for student loan relief amid rising unemployment.
Reacting to this, Sitharaman alleged, “In 2014-15, 26 states were not named in the budget speech. Were they ignored? Why are they making a fuss?” She also highlighted that budgetary allocations have increased across sectors, asserting, “Agriculture was Rs 0.30 trillion in 2013-14, now it is Rs 1.52 trillion.”
Criticism of the Agnipat Project
Akhilesh Yadav was referring to the Agnipath scheme, which aims to recruit personnel into the army in a short period of time. “We cannot accept Agniveru. We will scrap it if we come to power,” he declared. He claimed that the Agnipath scheme undermines the recruitment process and said, “The scheme is a betrayal of the youth and a threat to national security. We need soldiers who are committed for the long term.”
The deaths of three students at a coaching centre in Delhi due to flooding also came into focus, with members arguing that stricter regulations were needed to prevent such incidents.
Controversy over Rahul’s remarks
BJP MP Anurag Thakur mocked Rahul Gandhi, saying, “Don’t become a fake minister. To become a real minister you have to tell the truth.” The remarks drew backlash from the opposition. Gandhi responded, “You can insult me ​​all you want, but I will pass the caste test.”
Focus on employment and unemployment
Yadav criticised the government’s economic policies, saying, “Young people are struggling to find jobs and this budget does nothing to alleviate their suffering.” He pointed out that there are one million vacancies in the Indian government but the budget makes no mention of filling them.
Supporting the government’s focus on employment generation, Union Minister JP Nadda said, “The focus is on job creation. Employment linked incentive schemes will generate millions of new jobs. The Budget focuses on skill development, increasing agricultural productivity and supporting the manufacturing sector.”
Sitharaman said the NDA government had created 125 million jobs in 10 years, compared to 23 million under the UPA government. “India’s inflation rate between 2020 and 2023 will be lower than the global average,” she said. However, Indian National Congress leader Karti Chidambaram hit back, saying, “There is a lack of compassion in this budget. There are one million vacancies and nothing is being said about filling them.”
Chidambaram’s criticism
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram criticised the government’s economic policies, saying, “The budget reflects the government’s failure to address real problems. It lacks vision and has failed to provide a solution to the unemployment crisis.” He added, “Job creation cannot be achieved by simply increasing budgets. A concrete plan is needed.”
Dhankhar’s status in the OBC case
The meeting took a turn when the Opposition questioned Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar about his OBC status, to which Dhankhar replied, “I am proud to be a Jat. Jats are considered as OBCs in the Rajasthan and Central lists.”
View from the floor
The session highlighted regional concerns, with Congress leader S. Suponmeren Jamil lamenting the inadequacy of Nagaland’s road network, and Communist Party (Marxist) leader AA Rahim expressing concern over the dismantling of permanent jobs, saying “life in India is now very difficult.”
In a notable moment, Alfred Kan Ngam Arthur, MP from Outer Manipur, criticised the government’s inaction in the state, saying, “If you cannot bring peace to a small state, how can you bring peace to the entire country?” He also called for the dismissal of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
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First uploaded on: 30 July 2024 19:30 IST