Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet prominent economists and regional experts on Tuesday to get their views and suggestions for the upcoming budget, a senior government official said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha on February 1, 2025. Apart from economists and field experts, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Berry and other members of NITI Aayog will also attend the meeting.
The Prime Minister has kept it regular In the past also the meeting before the budget After starting his third term in office recently in July.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is leaving for the United States on Tuesday for a six-day visit, the first high-level visit since Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. It was not immediately known whether Jaishankar would meet any officials in the Trump camp. The Republican leader will take office for his second term as US President on January 20.
Opposition to Congress, BSP
Congress is going to organize district level Babasaheb Ambedkar honor march across the country on Tuesday. “On December 24, across the country, we will organize Babasaheb Ambedkar Samman marches and submit a memorandum to the President of India through District Collectors demanding Amit Shah’s resignation,” Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal said.
The party lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments about Ambedkar during the constitutional debate in Parliament and staged protests inside and outside Parliament demanding Shah’s resignation.
The Congress alleged that Shah’s remarks “insulted Ambedkar” and “deeply hurt the upholders of constitutional values”. “Despite this, neither Shah, nor the Prime Minister nor the BJP expressed regret. Instead, they vehemently defended their stand,” Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal said last week.
Tuesday’s protest march ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting in Karnataka Belagavi on December 26 and its ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Constitution’ rally on December 27.
Congress is not the only one opposed to Shah; Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has also called for nationwide protests over Shah’s remarks. The party also accused both the BJP and the Congress of “insulting” Ambedkar’s legacy and “exploiting the Dalit vote”. “In light of the derogatory comments, the BSP is calling for peaceful protests tomorrow in district headquarters across the country. I appeal to all communities to ensure the success of these agitations. Those who use Ambedkar’s name for deceitful politics must be stopped,” Mayawati said.
The Delhi Police is going to investigate the clash in Parliament
The Delhi Police Crime Branch is likely to visit the Parliament premises on Tuesday in connection with the clash in which two BJP MPs were injured, an official source said on Monday.
BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were injured on December 19 in a clash between opposition and NDA MPs in Parliament over alleged insults to Ambedkar. The BJP had accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing them and inciting other members of his party. The Congress leader refused. On the same day, the police registered a case against Gandhi and others in the matter and handed over the investigation to the crime branch.
– With PTI input
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