Gandhinagar, February 19 – AAP MLA Hemant Khava drove a tractor to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Thursday to protest against the state government’s budget for 2026-27, alleging that it discriminates against villages and farmers.
Khava, who represents Jamjodhpur, arrived at the Assembly premises on a tractor, but was stopped at the gate by police and security personnel and was not allowed to enter with the vehicle.
He subsequently walked to the Assembly to attend the proceedings.
Speaking to reporters outside the House, Khava claimed that the budget reflects a significant disparity between allocations for urban and rural areas.
He said that Rs 33,000 crore had been earmarked for cities, while only Rs 14,000 crore had been allocated for villages.
Referring to figures cited in the Assembly, he noted that 48 per cent of the state's population lives in urban areas and 52 per cent in rural areas. "By allocating Rs 33,000 crore to 48 per cent of the population and only Rs 14,000 crore to 52 per cent, the government has committed injustice," he said.
Khava further alleged that the Rs 4 lakh crore budget contained no substantial provisions for farmers.
He pointed out that only Rs 16 crore had been allocated for the establishment of agro-processing units, while Rs 2,755 crore had been set aside for the textile industry.
Highlighting regional allocations, Khava stated that only 473 crore had been provided for 11 districts of Saurashtra, whereas Rs 600 crore had been allocated for irrigation in Ahmedabad district alone.
During the protest, Khava told IANS, "I am a farmer's son, not a terrorist, and this is a tractor, not a tank. When the discussion on the budget will take place, I am going to raise this issue."
He said he would raise the issue in the Assembly and continue to press for what he described as equitable treatment for villages and farmers.
