Lok Sabha discusses Budget after brief first half adjournment

Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned during the first half on Friday, after the Opposition and ruling side targeted each other on different issues. While Trinamool Congress members demanded to raise the issue of a junior minister, Sukanta Majumdar, telling the media the other day about his proposal to bifurcate West Bengal, some BJP leaders wanted to raise the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam in Karnataka and targeted chief minister Siddaramaiah.

While Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee sought to raise Majumdar's pitch for the division of West Bengal and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also speaking on the matter, Speaker Om Birla denied permission, saying the minister had made the comments outside Parliament and Dubey during zero hour a day earlier. Similarly, Birla disallowed BJP MP PC Mohan's attempt to raise the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam. After Trinamool MPs started protesting from the Well, the chair adjourned the House till 12.30 pm.

After the House reassembled, the budget discussion resumed, with Union minister Rajiv Ranjan, alias Lallan Singh (JDU), putting up a spirited defence, saying the budget contained the imprint of the vision for Aatmarnirbhar Bharat. He hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Jai Prakash of Congress said the budget neglected farmers, youth and the poor, and lamented that his state, Haryana, was ignored in the budget.