Govt should not introduce a full-fledged Budget in the name of an Interim Budget, says Mallikarjun Kharge

New Delhi: Days ahead of the Union budget, the Congress on Wednesday said the government should not bring the full fledged budget in the name of an interim budget, as its tenure is till May. Representing the Congress in the all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Congress leader in the House, Mallikarjun Kharge said the government should restrict itself to vote-on-account. Talking to reporters after the meeting, the Congress leader said he has demanded that there should be discussion on the Rafale deal and farmers issues during the budget session, which is starting on Thursday. “I said in the meeting that the government should not bring full-fledged budget in the name of interim budget. It cannot do this as the tenure of this government is till May. The BJP-led government should bring only vote-on-account,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_1610485” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Mallikarjun Kharge. Image courtesy: PIB[/caption] On Rafale, Kharge alleged that there is a scam in the fighter jet deal and said the prime minister should face the opposition in the house on this issue. “For sure, there is a scam in the Rafale fighter jet deal and why the prime minister is running away from the debate, he should sit in Parliament and answer the questions on this deal,” Kharge said, adding that new revelations have emerged about the defence deal in english dailies. He further said the Congress will also question the government for withholding the employment data of the National Sample Survey Organisation. TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said unemployment and farmers’ distress must be given priority. Bandyopadhyay also alleged that BJP government is using CBI against Bengal and said the federal structure of the country is being ruined.