Rajasthan CM reads out excerpts of previous budget, uproar in House

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday read excerpts of the previous budget instead of Budget 2023-24, the major goof-up leading to an uproar in the house and an apology from the chief minister who said it was human error. There were two adjournments with the Opposition BJP alleging that the budget had been leaked and the presentation be postponed to another date. The House was first adjourned for half-an-hour within a few minutes of the budget presentation beginning and then again for 15 minutes. When the House reassembled after the first adjournment, Speaker CP Joshi expunged the proceedings from 11 am to 11.42 am. He said whatever happened was unfortunate. Human errors, he said, happen and are rectified. When the house reassembled after the second adjournment, the chief minister said, ”I am feeling sorry. An extra page was added by mistake. It was human error.” Incorrect figures were presented when Vasundhara Raje was chief minister and that were also rectified, he said.