In a major goof-up, chief minister (CM) Ashok Gehlot read out last year’s state budget (2022-23) instead of this year’s budget (2023-24) in the Rajasthan assembly today.
The CM, during the Assembly session, started reading parts of his government’s previous Budget, leading to protests by the BJP legislators legislators. Speaker C P Joshi asked them to maintain order but the Opposition continued its uproar. Then House being adjourned for half-an-hour. After the adjournment, BJP MLAs staged a sit-in inside the well of the House.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria questioned, ‘Rajasthan State Assembly proceedings disrupted as the Opposition alleges that CM Ashok Gehlot presented old budget today. This budget cannot be presented. Was it leaked’. Gehlot clarified by saying, ‘You (Opposition) can point out only if there's a difference b/w what's written in the budget in my hand and its copies given to the House members. If a page was added to my budget copy by mistake, then how does the matter of leaking of budget arise?’
The incident comes at a time when all eyes are on the Gehlot-led government, as this is his last Budget before the state goes to polls later this year.