Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech failed to convince Congress-led Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha today. The INDIA Bloc accused the Centre of not mentioning the middle class and the weaker sections of society in the Modi 3.0 Budget.
Attacking the NDA government, Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said it is the Narendra Modi government's 'Kursi Bachao' budget. He said the budget's aim was to appease cronies without relief for the common people of the country.
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“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 in a post on X (formerly Twitter)
Another opposition leader, Akhilesh Yadav said that the Union Budget 2024 was a way to retain power as he mentioned special projects for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh - both ally states of NDA.
"This budget is also a bundle of despair. Thankfully, humans are still alive in these conditions," roughly translation of Akhilesh Yadav X post in English.
Veteran Congress leader and party spokes person, Jairam Ramesh, also slammed ruling government over Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, asking why it took "10 years to announce" what was "already committed".
“The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC’s Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC’s proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki,” said veteran Congress leader.
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Even Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress party (AITC) termed this Budget as "Andhra-Bihar Budget" as the two states got major allocations. The party in its post on X, took an snatching attack on government over infrastructure highlighting the recent bridge collapse incident in different states.
"No INDIA alliance governments got anything. No opposition parties got anything, including Karnataka. It is unfortunate and I never expected this from FM Nirmala Sitharaman," said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar while speaking with news agency ANI on Union Budget.