The INDIA bloc parties plan to stage protests both inside and outside Parliament today, claiming "discrimination" against opposition-ruled states in the recently unveiled Union Budget.

The high-level meeting included several prominent leaders, such as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi; Congress' deputy leaders Pramod Tiwari and Gaurav Gogoi; NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar; Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut; TMC's Derek O'Brien and Kalyan Banerjee; DMK's TR Baalu; JMM's Mahua Maji; AAP's Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh; and CPI(M)'s John Brittas. Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh also attended the meeting.

Following the meeting, Mr. Venugopal stated, "The concept of a budget has already been destroyed by this year's Union Budget. They have completely discriminated against most of the states. So, the general sentiment of the INDIA bloc meeting was we have to protest against this." He later took to social media to describe the budget as "extremely discriminatory and dangerous," accusing it of undermining the principles of federalism and fairness.

As part of their protest, Congress chief ministers will boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27. Mr. Venugopal alleged, "This government's attitude is completely antithetical to Constitutional principles. We will not participate in an event that is solely designed to hide the true, discriminatory colors of this regime."

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25, marking her seventh consecutive budget presentation, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai's record. This budget is the first under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term in office. During her speech, Ms. Sitharaman noted that the country's inflation remains stable and is moving towards 4 percent, with core inflation at 3.1 percent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed on social media, "The '#BudgetForViksitBharat' ensures inclusive growth, benefiting every segment of society and paving the way for a developed India."

Speaking to NDTV, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "No one with a sane mind" will criticize the 2024 Union Budget. He added, "I feel this Budget lays the strongest-ever foundation for 'atmanirbhar' Bharat because the Prime Minister has already given a clear-cut vision to make India a developed nation by 2047."

Ms. Sitharaman highlighted several key points in the budget, including rewards for key NDA allies, tax relief for new taxpayers, and a focus on job creation for youth. The budget introduced changes to the tax regime, increasing the standard deduction in the new tax regime from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 and revising tax slabs to benefit a broader range of income groups. Salaried employees can now save up to ₹17,500 in income tax under the new slabs.

Additionally, the budget included a significant announcement for professionals entering the workforce. The government will provide one month's salary as a Provident Fund contribution for first-time employees, benefiting an estimated 210 lakh youngsters. Other measures include raising the exemption limit for capital gains on some financial assets to ₹1.25 lakh per year and abolishing angel tax for all classes of investors.

The budget also earmarked significant projects for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, states whose political leaders recently aligned with the BJP to secure a parliamentary majority. For Bihar, the budget outlines the development of expressways and a power plant, while Andhra Pradesh will see infrastructure projects prioritized, including substantial financial support for capital development.