Opposition is misleading the people: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Budget

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday lauded the Union Budget and called it “good.” Further attacking the opposition, he said, they are trying to “mislead people” by saying that the budget presented by the Centre is only for two states (Bihar and Andhra Pradesh).

The INDIA bloc MPs are holding a protest in Parliament against the Union Budget, presented on July 23 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The opposition parties have alleged the Union Budget 2024 to be a “discriminatory budget”.

“The Budget is really good and everyone has welcomed it. The opposition is trying to mislead by saying that it is a budget for only 2 states. The allocation of capital expenditure of Rs 11 lakh 11 thousand 111 crores for building infrastructure is not for 1-2 states, it is for the entire country,” Rijiju told reporters outside New Parliament building.

Rijiju further said that it is “wrong whoever says that the entire Union Budget is for one for two states.”

“From infrastructure to medical, giving relaxation to the middle-class people, facilities given to the farmers or giving a separate package to the tribal people, all that has been done for the country. It is wrong to say that the entire Union Budget is for 1 or 2 states,” he added.

“If Bihar is getting some benefit in the budget, then what is the problem with it?. It is the budget of the entire country, which is presented collectively to everyone,” he asked.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her record seventh consecutive Union Budget 2024-25 today (on July 23) during the Budget Session of Parliament and made major announcements for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, including a boost in infrastructure and special financial support.

On Rahul Gandhi’s remark in Parliament on the NEET issue, Rijiju said that the opposition is making unnecessary ruckus on the NEET issue.

“Rahul Gandhi has to tender an apology for making a wrong statement and accusing the entire examination system of the country, where the Supreme Court has categorically stated there is no systemic issue that has vitiated the examination system,” he said.

The Union Minister said that the Supreme Court has come out with a ruling on the NEET issue and everyone should honour the judgement of the top court.

“Any error anywhere or any fraud committed by any person will have to be handled accordingly. The whole system cannot be called fraud. That is the wrong statement from Rahul Gandhi. The Supreme Court has come out with a ruling and we all have to honour the judgement of the Supreme Court of India,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to cancel the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET-UG) 2024 examination held on May 5, holding that there was no systemic breach in the exam.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that at the present stage, there is an absence of material on record to lead to the conclusion that the result of the exam is vitiated or that there is any systematic breach.

It said the data on record is not indicative of a systemic leak of the NEET-UG question paper, which would indicate a disruption of the sanctity of the exam.

However, it acknowledged the fact that the leak of the NEET-UG paper took place at Hazaribagh and Patna and said that it is “not in dispute”.