Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him not to stop Delhi Budget for 2023-24. The request comes a day after Kejriwal alleged that the Union Government stalled Delhi budget which was scheduled to be presented in the Assembly.

“It is the first time in the country’s 75-year history that a state budget has been stopped. Why are you upset with the people of Delhi,” CM Kejriwal wrote in his letter to PM Modi.

According to sources, the MHA had sought clarification from the AAP government as its budget proposal had a high allocation for advertisement and relatively low funding for infrastructure and other development initiatives, a charge denied by Delhi Finance Minister.

 In a statement, the MHA said, “The Lieutenant Governor, Delhi, had raised certain concerns of administrative nature on the proposed Budget, keeping in view the fiscal interest of the National Capital Territory on which MHA vide its letter dated 17.03.2023 has requested GNCTD to resubmit the Budget addressing these concerns for taking further action.

Kailash Gahlot, Delhi Finance Minister, has denied the charges as lies. The total budget size was Rs 78,800 crore, out of which 22,000 crore was earmarked for expenditure on infrastructure and just Rs 550 crore on advertisements, he said. The allocation for advertisement was the same as in last year’s budget, he added.