By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday presented the Union Budget for 2024-25 in Parliament while BJD MPs from Odisha in Rajya Sabha staged a walkout.
Sources said, all the BJD MPs in Rajya Sabha walked out of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday when the Union Budget was being laid, strongly protesting the continued neglect of Odisha in the Union Budget.
Before walking out, the BJD MPs strongly said in the House that they are walking out due to denial of Special Category State status to Odisha. While Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar had been asking for Special Category, the two states got Special additional funds while Odisha’s demand was not considered.
Probably this is the punishment meted out to Odisha for electing 20 Lok Sabha BJP MPs out of 21 MPs from Odisha and the reward to the BJP allies from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, said BJD MPs.
