New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday termed the Union budget for 2023-24 “big on announcements and short on delivery” as he accused the BJP government of making the common man’s life difficult.
Alleging the Narendra Modi government has “looted” the country by increasing prices of flour, pulses, milk and cooking gas, he claimed that the budget is proof that people are “continuously losing faith in the BJP”.
“Overall, the Modi government has made life difficult for the people. The country’s economy has been deeply hurt. The Modi government has done nothing except loot the country’s wealth.
“This budget will be called ‘Naam Bade Aur Darshan Chhote Budget’ (big on announcements and short on delivery),” Kharge said after the presentation of the Union Budget.
The Congress president alleged that the budget has been made with elections and not the country in mind.
“No effort has been made in this budget to find a solution to massive unemployment. Inflation is hurting every household and the common man is in trouble. There is nothing in the budget that would reduce prices of items of daily use,” he said.
Kharge claimed that there is nothing in this budget for the welfare of Dalits, tribals and backward classes or to protect their rights.
“MNREGA budget reduced by Rs 38,468 crore. So what will happen to the poor? There is no boost to the education and health budgets, in fact, they have been reduced.
“The anti-farmer Narendra Modi government has given nothing in the budget for farmers! It was promised to double the income of farmers in 2022. Why was it not fulfilled? Where is the MSP guarantee? The neglect of the farmers continues,” he alleged.
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha accused the Modi government has ruined the banking sector.
The fugitives looted the country and fled, he said, alleging that wilful defaulters are to the tune of Rs 3 lakh crores.
There is a slippage of Rs 36 lakh crores in bank NPAs. But no solution has been mentioned in the budget. Also, there is not a word on the risk posed to SBI and LIC, Kharge alleged.
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday claimed that the Union Budget has “betrayed” the hopes of a vast majority of Indians and shows how far removed the government is from the people and their concerns about life, livelihood and the growing inequality between the rich and the poor.
At a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, the former finance minister termed the budget as “callous” and said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has not mentioned the words unemployment, poverty, inequality or equity anywhere in her Budget speech
“Let me begin by pointing out, with regret, that the FM has not mentioned the words unemployment, poverty, inequality or equity anywhere in her speech. Mercifully, she has mentioned the word poor twice in her speech. I am sure the people of India will take note of who are in the concerns of the government and who are not,” Chidambaram said.
He stressed that no taxes have been reduced except for the small number who have opted for the new tax regime.
“No indirect taxes have been reduced. There is no cut in the cruel and irrational GST rates. There is no reduction in the prices of petrol, diesel, cement, fertilizers etc. There is no cut in the numerous surcharges and cesses which are, anyway, not shared with the state governments,” Chidambaram said.
“Who has benefited by this Budget? Certainly, not the poor. Not the youth looking desperately for jobs. Not those who have been laid off. Not the bulk of the taxpayers. Not the homemaker. Not the thinking Indians who are shocked by the growing inequality, the rise of the number of billionaires and the wealth being accumulated in the hands of the 1 per cent of the population. Certainly, not you,” he said.
Chidambaram alleged that the government is determined to push the fortunes of “gift city”, Ahmedabad, at the cost of other commercial and financial centres.
“The government is also determined to push the ‘new’ tax regime for which there are few takers for a variety of reasons.
“Besides, making the new tax regime the default option is grossly unfair and will rob the ordinary tax payer of the meagre social security that he may get under the old tax regime,” the Congress leader said.
This is a “callous” Budget that has betrayed the hopes of the vast majority of the people, he added.
