Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has announced his decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27, 2024. This move is part of a broader protest by the INDIA bloc against the Union Budget presented on July 23, which they claim is discriminatory towards states governed by non-NDA parties.
BulletsIn
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will boycott the NITI Aayog meeting on July 27, 2024.
- The boycott decision follows allegations that the Union Budget is discriminatory and insufficient in funding for non-NDA states.
- All INDIA bloc chief ministers, except Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, have decided to skip the NITI Aayog meeting.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin was the first to announce the boycott, followed by Congress chief ministers from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana.
- Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are also expected to skip the meeting.
- Mamata Banerjee and TMC’s Derek O’Brien will attend the meeting to hold the Union government accountable for Bengal’s dues.
- Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticized the central government and the previous BRS administration over the budget’s alleged injustices.
- The discussion on the Union Budget 2024-25, presented on July 23, will continue in both Houses of Parliament.
- The budget session of Parliament began on July 22 and is scheduled to end on August 12.
- Opposition parties have criticized the budget for being discriminatory and lacking vision, with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram highlighting unemployment as a major concern.
