“Federal structure is getting weakened…”: Mallikarjun Kharge attacks Centre in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India]: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday slammed the Centre on the second day of the Special Session in Parliament and said that the federal structure is getting weakened under the Central government.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha in the new Parliament building, Mallikarjun Kharge said,” Under your rule (Centre), the federal structure is getting weakened day by day. You talk about strengthening the federal structure but look at what happened in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. States are not getting GST, MGNREGA funds, agriculture and irrigation departments are not getting grants. You work in uprooting governments in the states.

Countering the remarks made by Mallikarjun Kharge, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This is absolutely wrong. I even borrowed the money and paid GST to the States three times in advance. There is no GST pending on any state.”

Mallikarjun Kharge further continued attacking the Centre on weakening the federal structure and said,” You ask any state be it West Bengal, Maharastra, Punjab, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh every state is suffering.”

With Kharge’s concluding remarks, the Upper House was adjourned till September 20.

In his first speech in the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the grandeur of the new Parliament building glorifies modern India and the sweat of engineers and workers is invested in it.

The new Parliament building reflects the aspirations of 140 crore Indians and it is time to accomplish the resolves and begin the new journey with renewed enthusiasm and energy, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

He conveyed his best wishes on the historic first session in the new building of Parliament and extended a warm welcome to the Members of the House.