Chhattisgarh: Opposition Walks Out Over Finance Minister’s Absence During Budget Debate

While having the discussion on the Chhattisgarh’s State Budget - 2025-26 in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Congress MLA Umesh Patel criticized the BJP government for the escalating crime graph in the state and also expressed his concerned about the modernization of police and up gradation of the system. He called for an audit of the Police Department's budget to ensure proper fund utilization and stressed the importance of boosting police morale for effective crime control.

The debate began after Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh invited Umesh Patel to speak, but State Finance Minister OP Choudhary was absent. Leader of Opposition Dr. Charan Das Mahant expressed disappointment over the Finance Minister's absence, prompting opposition members to walk out, stating, “We do not want to give a speech.” In response, Speaker Dr. Raman Singh adjourned the House for five minutes.

The Finance Minister arrived shortly after, allowing the discussion to continue, with contributions from BJP MLAs Amar Agrawal and Rajesh Munat, as well as Congress MLAs Raghvendra Kumar Singh and Daleshwar Sahu. The Assembly was adjourned until 11 am on Wednesday, when the State Budget discussion will resume.