Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has demanded caste census and legal guarantee of MSP to farmers.

Participating in the discussion in the Lok Sabha today on the General Budget 2024-25 and the Budget for Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2024-25, he said the legal guarantee for MSP in the Budget would have helped farmers.

He vowed in Lok Sabha that if the INDIA bloc comes to power, it will provide a legal guarantee of MSP to farmers and will conduct the caste census in the country. He also questioned the Agniveer scheme. He alleged that the Union Budget 2024-25 has nothing for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs who account 73 percent of the country’s population.

He also talked about the paper leak issue saying that this issue is affecting youth. Mr. Gandhi also raised the issue of taxation on the middle class saying the removal of indexation and increasing the capital gain tax will adversely affect the middle class.

When Mr. Gandhi was speaking, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objected to some of his comments on the Chair accusing him of undermining the dignity of the Speaker. Referring to Mr. Gandhi’s remark on the Agniveer scheme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, misconceptions have been created about the scheme by the Leader of the Opposition and he is ready to have a discussion on Agniveer in the House. During his speech, Mr. Gandhi tried to display a photograph in the House which was objected by the Speaker Om Birla. Mr. Birla said, it is against the rule and asked Mr. Gandhi to refrain from doing so.

Intervening into the debate, Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said that the NDA government has accorded priority to farmers, youth, women, poor and middle class in this budget. She said, the government has earmarked 1.52 lakh crore rupees for agriculture. She said, apart from skilling. the government has also announced a scheme to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in 500 top companies.

Earlier, participating in the discussion, Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party claimed that budget allocation for the education sector has been continuously decreased. She added that the unemployment rate is increasing in the country and questioned the Agniveer Scheme. She also raised the issue of caste census. The SP MP alleged that there is no focus agenda for the health sector in the Budget saying inadequate funds have been provided for the sector in it.

Mrs Yadav highlighted that the country has a huge shortage of doctors, nurses and technicians in the country. Suresh Kumar Kashyap of BJP lauded the Union Budget saying it will give new direction to the country and make the country self-reliant. He added that 25 crore people have been moved out of poverty highlighting several initiatives have been taken in the Budget for youth and women. Mr. Kashyap said the announcement of building three crore houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a big gift for the poors. He said the Budget has given special focus on education, employment and skill development to make the youth of the country atma nirbhar.

N K Premachnadran of RSP alleged that there is a lack of transparency in the Union Budget. He said, no amount has been allocated to the new projects or schemes announced in this budget. He alleged that corporate investment is not generating employment.

Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu of TDP rejected the opposition allegations that Andhra Pradesh has been given special treatment through this budget and said that over 50 thousand crore rupees has been allocated to it as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act ,2014. He said, the Act clearly mentions that special grants has to be given to the State for building capital.

Vishnu Datt Sharma of BJP said that this budget will pave the way of realising the goal of a developed nation. He said, the budget has taken care of every section of the society and it is inclusive and development-oriented.

P V Midhun Reddy of YSRCP demanded the government to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Satabdi Roy of AITC alleged that the there is no provision for farmers and children in the budget. She urged the government to increase funds for the MPLAD scheme.

Participating in the debate, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of J&KNC raised the demand for holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. He also demanded the government to impose import duty on apples brought to Jammu and Kashmir from outside India.

Balashowry Vallabhaneni of the Jansena Party said the budget especially focuses on youth and employment generation. He said, the government has announced an internship programme which will benefit one crore youth with an internship allowance of five thousand rupees per month.

Vishaldada Pralashbapu Patil, Independent alleged the government has not taken concrete steps to control the price rise.

Navin Jindal of BJP said that this budget is an important step in the spectacular journey of the country to be developed by 2047. He said, the unprecedented development and progress witnessed during the last decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is admirable.

Kamaljeet Sehrawat of BJP termed the Budget as historic and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for empowering the women of the country. She said the provisions in the Budget will foster women-led development. She said initiatives like working women hostels and creches, the Lakhpati Didi scheme, and AYUSHMAN will ensure women’s participation in the country’s growth.

Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, K Radhakrishnan of CPI(M), K Subbarayan of CPI, K Francis George of Kerala Congress, Advocate Chandrashekhar of Azad Samaj Party ( Kanshi Ram), Vijay Kumar Hansdak of JMM, Ujjwal Raman Singh of Congress and BJP’s Brijmohan Agrawal and Raju Bista and Aditya Yadav of SP were among those who participated in the discussion. However, the discussion remained inconclusive.

Later, Lok Sabha Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, participating in the discussion, Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party claimed that budget allocation for the education sector has been continuously decreased. She added that the unemployment rate is increasing in the country and questioned the Agniveer Scheme.

She also raised the issue of caste census. The SP MP alleged that there is no focus agenda for the health sector in the Budget saying inadequate funds have been provided for the sector in it. Mrs Yadav highlighted that the country has a huge shortage of doctors, nurses and technicians in the country.

Suresh Kumar Kashyap of BJP lauded the Union Budget saying it will give new direction to the country and make the country self-reliant. He added that 25 crore people have been moved out of poverty highlighting several initiatives that have been taken in the Budget for youth and women.

Mr. Kashyap said the announcement of building three crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a big gift for the poor.  He said the Budget has given a special focus on education, employment and skill development to make the youth of the country atmanirbhar. The discussion is underway.