Parliament session day 12 LIVE: No denial or halt of funds to states for schemes, says FM Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha

PArliament Budget Session daytime 12 unrecorded: patch addressing the Rajya Sabha on th, unification Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there had been no denial or stoppage of funds to states for any schemes. The Finance Minister also compared the unspent amount during a ten-year period for the UPA and NDA governments. Sitharaman said the unspent amount during the UPA government between 2004-2014 stood at 94,060 crore, and the same money during NDA government had reduced to 37,064 between 2014-2024.Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after 5 pm amid Opposition uproar over remarks against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey had earlier accused Rahul of misleading the nation and moved a substantive motion against him in the Parliament, seeking termination of his Parliamentary membership and a lifetime ban on the Congress leader from contesting elections.Nishikant Dubey was speaking to reporters outside the parliament when he said, “I have moved a motion in Lok Sabha today against Rahul Gandhi on how he is misleading the nation with the help of forces like (George) Soros, who want to harm the nation.”He was referring to Hungarian-American billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros, who is often accused by right-wing organisations worldwide of supporting liberal causes.The BJP MP’s action comes a day after Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech, in which he accused the ruling government of compromising India’s national interests in the trade deal with the United States, saying, “You have sold India.”Earlier, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said BJP members would file a Breach of Privilege notice against Gandhi “for misleading the House and also making baseless statements”.However, Dubey said he has chosen to pursue a different course of action than a privilege notice – a substantive motion, which initiates discussion on significant issues.Sources also told HT that the government will not move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi but will seek expungement of more words and lines from his speech from the records.Farmers' voice ‘completely ignored’ when taking decisions on their future: RahulA day after a heated exchange in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took to social media platform X, asserting that he stands “firmly with the issues of workers and farmers and with their struggle.”“Today, millions of workers and farmers across the country are on the streets, raising their voice for their rights. Workers fear that the four Labour Codes will weaken their rights. Farmers are apprehensive that trade agreements will strike a blow to their livelihood,” the Congress leader said.Rahul further said that weakening MGNREGA would take away the support of villages, adding that farmers' voices had been “completely ignored” while taking decisions “regarding their future.” He questioned whether PM Modi would “listen now”. “Will Modi ji listen now? Or is the “grip” on him too strong?,” Rahul asked.Heated exchange in Lok Sabha after Rahul's speech• Rahul Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha on Wednesday accused the Centre of compromising national interests for the US trade deal, while triggered protests.• “You have sold India,” Rahul said, while framing India's negotiating strength around its people and data. “If the Americans want to remain a superpower and protect their dollar, the key to that is Indian data,” he said.• In his speech, Rahul also referred to US President Donald Trump, asking him to speak to Indians “as an equal.” “You are not going to talk to us as if we are your servants,” he said.• Gandhi criticised tariff changes and alleged unequal commitments in trade, claiming that India had conceded too much while gaining little in return. He further said the Prime Minister would not have agreed to this deal “under normal circumstanced”, alleging that there is a “chokehold.”• The LoP's remarks led to a heated exchange between him and union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. “First of all, no man has been born in this universe who can touch or sell India. Secondly, the country has never seen a Prime Minister better than Modi,” the union minister said.• Rijiju said that Rahul's remarks, as the Lok Sabha LoP, have “serious repercussions, and asked the Congress MP to authenticate his statements. Rahul agreed to do it “right now”, but was interrupted by Jagdambika Pal, who said the Chair had not sought it.