Opposition leaders were left fuming on Tuesday as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2024.
The first post-poll budget of the BJP-led coalition government laid special emphasis on job creation and rural areas while unveiling significant sops for ally-led Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Critics, however, were quick to label it as a rehashed version of opposition manifestos and a desperate attempt to appease coalition partners.
Opposition Reactions to Union Budget 2024:
“Kursi Bachao” (saving seat) Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets. leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, on his official X account.
“Kursi Bachao” Budget.
– Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states.
– Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian.
– Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 23, 2024
“I am glad to know that the Finance Minister has read the Congress Lok Sabha Manifesto after the election results. I am happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto. I am also happy that she has introduced the Apprenticeship scheme along with an allowance to every apprentice spelt out on page 11 of the Congress Manifesto. I wish the FM had copied some other ideas in the Congress Manifesto,” jibed Congress leader P Chidambaram.
I am glad to know that the Hon'ble FM has read the Congress Manifesto LS 2024 after the election results
I am happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive (ELI) outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto
I am also happy that she has introduced the…
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) July 23, 2024
“In 2018, Chandrababu Naidu garu quit the NDA because of the non-biological PM’s failure to grant Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status. Six years after the drama, at a time when the Government is reliant on his MPs for support, all he has managed to get is ‘special financial support’ for Amravati,” reacted Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh MP.
“Development measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are driven by the BJP’s political compulsion to save its government. Is there anything for Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state? Uttar Pradesh has given the country its prime minister, yet the state’s farmers have received nothing despite earlier promises of doubling their income. The state has no ‘mandi’ for farmers, and the budget’s announcement for the highway from Buxar in Bihar should have included an extension to Purvanchal Expressway. The youth want permanent jobs, not short-term measures,” stated SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.
“The flood situation displaced so many people, many lost their homes and precious belongings in the floodwaters after the rain. Murders and thefts are happening in the state. Labourers are not getting their wages. Youth are not getting employment and farmer issues persist. Farmers’ fertilisers and seeds should be made cheaper, and inflation should be stopped. The costs of petrol and diesel are high and farmers don’t even get electricity. ₹26,000 crore allotted to Bihar is a ‘jhunjhuna,’” said former Bihar CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi.
“They are saying that they will give 4 crore jobs, how many jobs have you given in the last 10 years? What about the issue of migration from Bihar? Nitish Kumar is a kingmaker but you didn’t get the special package. Now you are saying that don’t give us special state status but a package. Why are you begging? Talk about special state status. No central university has been announced. You don’t need to withdraw support, just leave the cabinet,” stated Pappu Yadav MP.
“This budget is a complete failure with zero warranty, presented by a failed finance minister of a failed government. Instead of tackling urgent issues like unemployment, rising prices, and growing inflation, the BJP has crafted a budget to bribe its coalition partners and buy time before the government implodes!” reacted Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee MP.
“It is an underwhelming budget. I didn’t hear anything about the key issues facing the common man. There is no mention of MNREGA, and insufficient mention of steps taken to improve the income of a common person,” said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
“This is a kursi bachao (saving seat) budget. They have presented the Budget for those parties which will save their seats. This Budget is not for India. They have not given anything to Bengal. They can’t tolerate Bengalis. The BJP will be wiped out of Bengal,” jibed Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee.
