NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi did not open the discussion on the Union budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, citing concerns over potential “engineered disruptions” by the treasury benches, party sources cited by PTI said. The leader of opposition in the House is now expected to speak on the budget on Wednesday. According to Congress sources, several opposition leaders had urged Gandhi to start the Budget debate. However, he suggested that doing so could lead to repeated disruptions and jeopardize the proceedings. Gandhi emphasized that the Budget debate is crucial for all opposition parties to raise issues affecting the people and hold the government accountable.The decision came after opposition parties submitted a notice to move a resolution for the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, escalating tensions between the treasury and opposition benches.When the House convened at 2 pm following two adjournments, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, presiding over the proceedings, asked Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to initiate the debate, and he began speaking on the issue.Since February 2, the Lok Sabha has witnessed repeated disruptions, leading to the suspension of seven Congress members and one CPI(M) member for the remainder of the Budget session. The thaw in proceedings on Tuesday allowed the Budget discussion to move forward, at least temporarily.
