Will send PM a copy: Raj CM Gehlot hits back at Modi, says his state budget 'model' for country
Jaipur, Feb 13: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday called his state budget a "model" for others to follow and offered to send a copy to the Centre, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi poked fun over a goof-up during his budget presentation.
At a rally in Rajasthan's Dausa on Sunday, Modi picked on a blunder at the Rajasthan Budget presentation Friday, when Gehlot mistakenly read portions of the last year's budget. The PM taunted that the Congress lacks vision and its announcements remain just on paper.
Gehlot said he rectified his mistake within "34 seconds", and claimed that the BJP is rattled by his government's performance in the state that goes to the polls this year-end.
"I can send the copy of the Budget to the prime minister and he can send it to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They will realise that our budget is a model budget," the Rajasthan CM told PTI.
"The budget we presented in Rajasthan can become a model budget for the country. We have taken care of all sections, all families. I can claim that such a budget is rare," he added.
During the interview, the chief minister also played down divisions within the Congress in Rajasthan, where he and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have been at loggerheads. Pilot had led a rebellion in 2020 for change of leadership in the state.
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Death toll in Mundathikode fireworks explosion rises to 16
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): One more person who had been hospitalised following the Mundathikode fireworks explosion died at Thrissur Medical College on Sunday, police said.
With this, the death toll in the incident has risen to 16.
According to Thrissur Medical College police, the deceased has been identified as Unnikrishnan from Edappal, who was among the 38 persons present at the fireworks manufacturing unit in Mundathikode where the explosions occurred on April 21.
Police said Unnikrishnan had suffered over 80 per cent burns and had remained in critical condition.
The condition of the two other injured persons remains critical, police said.
Of the 38 persons present at the site, 16 have died, while four remain missing.
The fireworks were being manufactured for Thiruvambady Devaswom as part of the Thrissur Pooram festivities.
The licensee of the unit had also suffered burn injuries and had died earlier.
