Politics

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched a sharp attack against the ruling BJP at the Centre over the 2024-25 Union Budget, calling it a 'revenge' taken by the saffron party against the country and warned it will face more electoral defeats since it was committing "mistake after mistake."

Explaining his decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, Stalin said he was 'compelled' to speak in the people's forum, seeking justice due to the "discriminatory attitude" towards Tamil Nadu reflected in the budget. The state's pleas for disaster relief to the tune of Rs 37,000 crore and Chennai Metro Rail's second phase were not heeded to, he said in a statement. The BJP runs "the government with political motive", he added. 

"The budget presented on July 23 is evidence of this. In the recently held parliamentary elections, the people of various states defeated the anti-people BJP. The Budget presented by Union Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) seems like a vengeful act against the States and people who boycotted the BJP. Instead of preparing a budget for the welfare of all Indians, she has prepared a budget to take revenge against those who voted for the I.N.D.I.A bloc," he alleged.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sunil Kumar Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council on Friday, following an incident of unruly behaviour in the House earlier this year.

The motion for Singh's expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the Ethics Committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh. Singh, a close aide of RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family, was charged with raising slogans against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 13. Another RJD Member of the Legislative Council, Mohd Qari Sohaib, was suspended for two days after engaging in disruptive behaviour on the same day.

Singh's suspension will take effect when the House reconvenes.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not be attending the Niti Aayog meeting to be held in the national capital on Saturday, according to government sources.

Vijayan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his inability to attend the meeting and seeking permission for state Finance Minister K B Balagopal to go in his stead, the sources said on Friday.

The Chief Minister had written the letter much before the Union Budget 2024-25 was announced, the sources said. The Niti Aayog’s ninth governing council meeting will be held on Saturday in the national capital under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Modi.

The reason behind Vijayan’s inability to attend the meeting is not clear.

Days after the government announced the commemoration of the Emergency's anniversary as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi demanded that anti-Emergency activists jailed during the period be recognised and financially supported.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the official notification only pays tribute to deceased leaders but does not provide justice to those who are alive.

He said the anti-Emergency activists should be officially recognised and paid a monthly pension of Rs 50,000. Many states, including Bihar and other Hindi-speaking states, financially recognise them, but the activists in South and North-East India have been deprived of any benefits, he added.

Tyagi said at least one member of their families should be given a job and they should be provided health insurance facilities too.