Gehlot goof-up: CM reads out excerpts of previous budget, uproar in House
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday read excerpts of the previous budget instead of Budget 2023-24, the major goof-up leading to an uproar in the house and an apology from the chief minister who said it was human error.
There were two adjournments with the Opposition BJP alleging that the budget had been leaked and the presentation be postponed to another date.
The House was first adjourned for half-an-hour within a few minutes of the budget presentation beginning and then again for 15 minutes. When the House reassembled after the first adjournment, Speaker CP Joshi expunged the proceedings from 11 am to 11.42 am.
He said whatever happened was unfortunate. Human errors, he said, happen and are rectified.
When the house reassembled after the second adjournment, the chief minister said, "I am feeling sorry. An extra page was added by mistake. It was human error."
Incorrect figures were presented when Vasundhara Raje was chief minister and that were also rectified, he said.
Raje, who was present in the House, hit back, saying what Gehlot had done was sheer carelessness. "Koi bhi CM is tarah se kaagaz nahin laate. Aisa hoga toh Rajasthan kya hoga (No chief minister comes with papers like this. What will happen to the state if the chief minister does something like this)," she said.
The uproar ended after the chief minister's apologies and the budget speech began after that.
The speaker directed Opposition members to maintain the dignity of the house and the sanctity of the budget but the Opposition members continued their protest.
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said the copy of the budget remains locked and it remains with the finance minister.
For the dignity of the house, the budget should be postponed and a new date fixed, he said.
The chief minister requested Opposition members to return to their benches but the uproar continued.
When the protest continued, the speaker adjourned the house for the second time for 15 minutes at 12.13 pm.
This is the last budget for the Congress-led Gehlot government before assembly polls in the state.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
