Not appropriate to speak on Budget before its presentation: Kharge

NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the leaders of the party who are experts on the Budget will elaborate on it first and then he will speak about the same.

"It is not appropriate to speak on the budget without seeing the Budget. We will react once it would be presented. A press conference will be held on behalf of the party. The leaders who are experts in the budget of the party will tell about the Budget," Kharge told reporters while leaving for the Parliament on Wednesday.

He further took a swipe at President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of both Houses on Tuesday calling it "nothing special". "There was nothing special in the President's address," he said.

Sitharaman, before presenting the Union Budget met the President on Wednesday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan following a Union Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The presentation of the Union Budget 2023-24 started with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech in the Parliament on Wednesday wherein she termed the Budget the "first budget in Amrit Kaal".

"This is the first budget in Amrit Kaal. We envision a prosperous and inclusive India," Sitharaman said starting the Budget speech, adding, "Despite a time of challenges, the Indian economy heading towards a bright future."

However, all eyes across the country are set to witness the Budget 2023 which will begin with a speech from the Finance Minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am.

The budget session that began on Tuesday with the President's address will take place in 27 sittings till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers.

This budget will be the last full-fledged Union Budget of the Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The first part of the session would also see a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President Address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the debate in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The 259th Session (Budget) of the Rajya Sabha is likely to be concluded on April 6. In order to enable the Standing Committees to consider the Demands for Grants of Ministries and Departments and prepare their Reports, both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will adjourn on February 13 to meet again on March 13.

The government will also try to push its legislative agenda in the budget session. According to government records, 26 Bills are currently pending in the Rajya Sabha and nine in the Lok Sabha.

Amongst the 26 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha, three Bills have already been passed by Lok Sabha including the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022.

The bills which haven't been referred to any parliamentary scrutiny and are pending passage include the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council (Repeal) Bill, 2012, the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies (Third) Bill, 2013, the Delhi Rent (Repeal) Bill, 2013, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The budget session of Parliament is expected to be stormy with the opposition parties seeking to raise several issues including those related to Adani stocks and the BBC documentary and the government stating that it is willing to discuss all the issues permitted by the Chair.

On Tuesday, Kharge said that they would raise the issues of inflation, unemployment, and border dispute with China during the Budget session of Parliament. Sitharaman on Tuesday tabled the Economic Survey, 2022-23 along with Highlights and Statistical Appendix in the House on the first day of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Finance Minister later laid on the table, a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Economic Survey, 2022-23 along with Highlights and Statistical Appendix. "We wanted to participate in the President's maiden address but arrived here late due to the weather conditions, for which we apologise.

In this Budget session, we will raise the issues of inflation, unemployment and border dispute with China," said Kharge while speaking to ANI at Delhi Airport. Congress chief also said that the party will raise the issue of government banks lending huge amounts of loans to certain capitalists.

"We have decided to raise the issues we feel are not happening for the country's good and we are asking questions on them but the government is not taking the initiative on them......Instead of congratulating the leader (Rahul Gandhi) who has walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to hoist the national flag, they (Centre) are only cursing him. This shows that they don't want good for anybody," Kharge added.