New Delhi: Chief ministers of almost all opposition-ruled states will boycott the July 27 meeting of the central think-tank NITI Aayog as a mark of protest against a Union Budget which they feel has been anti-federalism and “extremely discriminatory” towards their states. The only exception is Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
The meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M.K. Stalin announced his move last evening – on the day the Budget was tabled. A couple of hours later, Congress veteran K.C. Venugopal also posted on X saying that all three Congress chief ministers – Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah, Himachal Pradesh’s Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Telangana’s Revanth Reddy – will also boycott the meeting.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party are also learned to have announced their decision to boycott the meeting.
An opposition leader told The Wire, “during the meeting of Parliament floor leaders of INDIA parties on Tuesday evening, the decision of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to boycott NITI Aayog meeting was discussed and it was decided that all the Opposition ruled States also should boycott as a mark of protest.”
Congress’s Venugopal wrote on X that the government’s attitude went against constitutional principles.
“The Union Budget presented today was extremely discriminatory and dangerous, which completely goes against the principles of federalism and fairness that the Union Government must follow…This government’s attitude is completely antithetical to Constitutional principles. We will not participate in an event that is solely designed to hide the true, discriminatory colours of this regime,” Venugopal wrote.
Opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc will also be protesting in parliament on today morning over their states having been neglected in the Union Budget.
It is learnt that Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will be attending the meet.
“We did discuss our collective decision with our colleagues in Trinamool Congress also but it seems Mamata Banerjee has decided to attend the meet and she will raise the issue directly with Prime Minister in the meeting,” a senior opposition leader said.
