Budget speech: Oppn walks out briefly, seeks Kumbh stampede discussion

New Delhi: Opposition MPs on Saturday staged a brief walkout from the Lok Sabha during Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech, demanding a statement from the government on the Kumbh stampede.

Soon after the Lok Sabha met at 11 am, opposition MPs raised slogans over the January 29 stampede, which claimed 30 lives. Sitharaman started delivering the Budget speech amid sloganeering.

After raising slogans for around 5 minutes, several opposition MPs walked out of the House.

However, they returned to their seats within minutes as the minister continued reading the Budget speech.

Trinamool Congress MPs were not part of the walkout. The opposition members also sought a discussion on the stampede after Sitharaman concluded her speech.