J&K: BJP's Devyani Rana slams CM Abdullah in maiden speech
08 Feb 2026
In her maiden speech in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Devyani Rana slammed the budget presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The speech was met with applause from members of the ruling National Conference (NC).
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather had urged members to support first-time MLA Rana, who won a by-election from Nagrota after her father, Davinder Singh Rana's death.
MLA raises concerns over disaster management budget
Budget critique
Rana's speech came after CM Abdullah presented a ₹1.13 lakh crore budget for 2026-27.
She slammed the government for cutting allocations in key sectors like education and disaster management.
"This contraction comes in a year marked by unprecedented and incessant rainfall that devastated rural areas," she said, referring to the reduced allocation for disaster management from ₹719 crore to ₹350.76 crore.
Funding for education reduced
Education concerns
Rana also raised concerns over reduced funding for education. She warned that a ₹193 crore cut could lead to school closures or mergers, affecting children's progress.
The young MLA also criticized government welfare schemes, citing issues with disabled-friendly buses in free bus services for disabled people.
Despite her harsh criticism, Rana's speech ended with applause from both sides of the political aisle in the assembly.
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