Faux pas: Ashok Gehlot reads out previous year’s Budget

New Delhi, February 10

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Opposition BJP members protested in the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot started reading excerpts from the old state Budget while presenting the 2023-24 Budget.

The BJP alleged that the Budget had been technically “leaked”, as state government officials rushed to get the Budget copy. “Nobody else but the Chief Minister (who has the finance portfolio also) should bring the Budget copy,” said BJP’s Pratap Singh Singhvi, MLA from Chhabra.

The Chief Minister refuted the allegations as soon as the House re-convened, saying there was no leak and an extra page from last year’s Budget, which was for reference, was placed among the fresh Budget documents. “I feel sorry…. It was a mistake,” Gehlot said, before beginning the Budget presentation again.

“The BJP just wants to show that it is against the development and progress of Rajasthan. Its fictitious allegation that the Budget was leaked shows it will not spare the Budget too from their petty politics. There is only one obstacle in ‘Bachat, Rahat, Badhat’ — BJP,” the Chief Minister tweeted.