GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 23rd July. The Opposition on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the NDA-led Central government, labeling the Union Budget 2024-25 as a “kursi bachao budget” (budget to save the chair), claiming it offers nothing substantial for the poor and is more about preserving the government’s position.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first budget of the Modi 3.0 government earlier today. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee sharply criticized the budget, stating, “This is a budget for the ruling NDA, not for India. It aims at saving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s position.”
Banerjee pointed out the lack of new projects for states like Odisha and Bengal, questioning the government’s priorities now that the BJP has secured electoral wins in these regions.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also weighed in, asserting that the budget neglects the youth and farmers. He accused the BJP of using development measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh as a political tool to secure its government, while ignoring Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India.
Yadav remarked, “They have increased unemployment in the last 10 years,” emphasizing the budget’s failure to address employment issues.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor termed the budget “underwhelming,” criticizing the lack of focus on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and income disparity. He acknowledged the abolition of tax on angel investors but highlighted the insufficient measures for job creation and income improvement for common citizens.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram sarcastically congratulated the Finance Minister for adopting several proposals from the Congress Lok Sabha Manifesto, such as the Employment-linked incentive and the Apprenticeship scheme. However, he lamented the absence of other critical ideas from their manifesto.
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha expressed disappointment, noting that the budget does not address the country’s pressing issues of unemployment and lacks innovative solutions for sectors like labor, farming, and youth.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the budget as “Pradhan Mantri Sarkar Bachao Yojana,” accusing the government of offering packages to alliance partners in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh to secure their support, while neglecting the infrastructure needs of states like Maharashtra.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad claimed the budget ignores Uttar Pradesh and Ayodhya, which will be politically costly for the BJP.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury condemned the budget for failing to address unemployment, inflation, and rising food prices adequately. He warned that reduced government expenditure as a percentage of GDP would contract the economy and exacerbate the public’s problems.
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