New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress and other opposition parties for criticising the Union Budget and said it reveals their political frustration and negative attitude towards “some backward states” that need special focus and assistance for development.
The BJP’s reaction comes against the backdrop of the Congress and other constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc accusing the government of presenting a “discriminatory” budget towards opposition-ruled states after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a host of budgetary announcements for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar on Tuesday.
The JD (U) and the TDP, which rule Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively, are key constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
Slamming the opposition’s INDIA bloc, BJP Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s budget has been welcomed by “one and all” but the opposition parties are coming out with “immature and negative reactions” against it.
“The entire country looks at this as a progressive, pro-people, pro-poor, pro-farmer and pro-employement budget. It is a budget which has actually laid out a vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he told a press conference at the BP headquarters here.
With more than Rs 48 lakh crore overall budgetary expenditure, the Union Budget 2024-25 has kept its focus on every section of the society and every state in the country, he said, adding special focus has been given to backward states, particularly eastern region, for their development.
But, “some allocations” have been made to “some states” keeping in view their developmental needs and long neglect, Rao said in an apparent reference to budgetary announcements made by the finance minister for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
“So, given this background, the Congress and INDI alliance’s opposition to the budget reveals their political frustration. It shows their negative attitude towards some backward states which need special focus and development,” the BJP leader charged.
“Andhra Pradesh certainly needs special financial assistance because of the ravages of the division and bifurcation the state suffered due to the Congress,” he added.
Rao said that the Congress, which is criticising the budget, had in its poll manifesto mentioned that it would give special category state status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power.
“They make such kind of hollow promises because they do realise that they betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh and they cannot get out of it. They have been reduced to 1 per cent vote share party in Andhra Pradesh (in recent elections),” the BJP MP said.
“I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that if he doesn’t want to learn even after getting such a massive jolt, people of Andhra Pradesh will never forgive him,” he added.
