Kathmandu— On Monday, Samajwadi Party (SP) legislators staged a protest outside the Uttar Pradesh Assembly as the Monsoon Session commenced, raising slogans and accusing the BJP government of failing to address key public issues such as donation embezzlement, NEET paper leak, power supply issues, and fertiliser shortages.

SP Criticizes Brief Assembly Session

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav criticized the government for calling a three-day session, alleging that it is avoiding discussions on important public issues. 'By calling a three-day session, this government is doing a condemnable thing,' Yadav told reporters. He emphasized that there are many problems in the state and that solutions cannot be found within such a short period.

Opposition MLA Outlines Protest Demands

An SP MLA outlined the reasons for the protest, stating that they were protesting against the embezzlement of donations made by people to the Ayodhya Ram temple. 'We are also protesting over various issues in the country such as the NEET paper leak, electricity problems, and fertiliser shortages,' the MLA said.

Government Responds to Criticism

Responding to the Opposition's criticism, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna dismissed their concerns. 'The Opposition has no issue; they are trying to create an issue. Development in the state is better than what people expected,' Khanna told reporters. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak echoed similar sentiments, stating that the Opposition lacks both issues and an agenda.

Supplementary Budget Announced

The Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Satish Mahana, announced that a supplementary budget would be presented to provide additional allocations for welfare schemes and expenditure heads. 'There are many government schemes that have been proposed after the budget, and there are many such heads of expenditure that require extra funds,' he said.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.