First day of Budget session begins with release of Economic Survey & Congress protest

President Ram Nath Kovind delivered the Presidential address to a joint sitting of Parliament, outlining the government's policy, amid sloganeering and protest by opposition members against CAA.

PM Narendra Modi at the Parliament house | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

New Delhi: A day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget for 2020-21, the Economic Survey projected an economic growth of 6-6.5 per cent in the next fiscal beginning April 1. However, it also suggested the government relax the budget deficit target to boost growth from a decade low.

Apart from the tabling of the Economic Survey Friday, the first budget session of Parliament also witnessed a protest by Opposition leaders led by Congress party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi to express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi protesting inside the Parliament complex. The Congress has been attempting to corner the ruling BJP on the economic slowdown and the ongoing anti-CAA protests | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury and A.K. Antony, and Congress MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were part of the protest.

PM Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind leaving Parliament. On the first day of the Budget session, Kovind called the CAA ‘historic’, upsetting several opposition MPs, who protested and chanted ‘shame’. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sonia Gandhi, Congress party’s interim president, has accused the government of conspiring to weaken the Constitution, and said the onus of protecting the it is on the shoulders of every Indian. “An unprecedented atmosphere of disturbance, fear and insecurity has been foisted upon the country,” she said earlier this week. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian (left) with MP Supriya Sule (right) at the protest. A section of opposition members, primarily from the Congress, wore black bands while others came with banners against the amended Citizenship act, pan-India NRC and NPR. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul enter the Parliament. As a mark of protest, opposition members including Sonia Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, did not sit at their designated seats in the front row. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Talking about the CAA protests, Sonia Gandhi said the Modi govt had been trying to draw attention away from the “economic mess, administrative bankruptcy, run away inflation, all-round recession and unacceptable unemployment”. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, while entering Parliament, was asked by reporters to comment on the shooting incident in Jamia on Thursday. In response, Gandhi said, “Who paid the Jamia shooter?” A minor had opened fire on students protesting against CAA in New Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, injuring one student. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Home Minister Amit Shah at Parliament. Shah has hit back at the Congress’ criticism on CAA, and accused the party of “instigating and misleading” Muslims. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also echoed Amit Shah’s assurances on CAA, and added that “foreign forces” were trying to “weaken” India by “misleading” people. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

The Economy Survey 2019-20 being brought to Parliament. The document, regarded as the government’s economic report card, focusses on wealth creation, and talks about how pro-business policies are essential for India to achieve its $5 trillion economy target in the coming years | Photoi: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

(With inputs from PTI)