Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at opposition leaders, contending they had resorted to abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the Union Budget in Parliament instead of speaking on the finer aspects of the document. Addressing a press conference here, he said the manner in which some opposition leaders made their speeches amounted to insulting the House and lowering the dignity of the Budget session. "Let us respect the mandate of the people. They have given the mandate to Prime Minister Modi for the third consecutive term. If anybody tries to insult the verdict of the people, they will be punished in the elections," Rijiju told reporters here. His remarks came a day after the Opposition claimed the Union Budget was "discriminatory" against non-NDA-ruled states and accused the prime minister of running a "shaky and vulnerable" coalition government. During the general discussion on the budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday