Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reacted to the Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying it is a copy and paste of Congress manifesto and previous Budgets.
In a post on X, the former Congress chief termed 2024 Budget as “Kursi Bachao” Budget and it is meant to appease allies and cronies. The Raebareli MP said hollow promises to BJP’s allies at the cost of other states. Pointing out to Ambanis, he said the Budget will benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian.
The Congress also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 3.0 Budget for being more focused on posturing than action.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram outlined several similarities between the announcement made on Tuesday and the Congress Lok Sabha election manifesto.
Taking to X, Chidambaram took a jibe and said he was glad to know that the Finance Minister has read the Congress Lok Sabha Manifesto after the election results. He said he was happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto.
Further, he said that Sitharaman has introduced the Apprenticeship scheme along with an allowance to every apprentice spelt out on page 11 of the Congress Manifesto. The Congress leader wished the FM had copied some other ideas in the Congress Manifesto too.
The Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Ramesh said that it was highly disappointing that the Finance Minister’s announcement on Data and Statistics makes no mention of releasing funds for the decadal Population Census that was supposed to have taken place in 2021, but has still not been conducted.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called Budget 2024 directionless, adding that she said that it is anti-people with no vision and only political mission is there. She further criticised the Centre and said the Central government make tall claims and make promises during elections. But after they get votes, they forget Darjeeling, Kalimpong.
The Chief Minister said that people in the hills of Darjeeling should remember this. Let Sikkim get things, adding that she said her government has no objection but keeping Darjeeling deprived is not right.
The TMC supremo said this Budget is anti-people, anti-poor and not for the common people and it appeased one party. This is a Budget full of political biases, she added.
Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi, speaking on Budget 2024, said the people of Delhi got zero from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s Budget. She said people of Delhi had demanded from the Central Government that they should get 5% of the money they pay as tax, but the Central Government has not fulfilled the demand of the people of Delhi.
Moreover, she stated that Delhi has not received a single rupee in the budget for 2024-25 as its share in Central government taxes. The Central government provides financial assistance to local bodies; similarly, the people of Delhi were also demanding that 5% of their tax be allocated to MCD. However, the central government has not allocated even a single rupee.
In the Budget speech, Sitharaman announced a scheme for providing internship opportunities to one crore youths in 500 top companies across the country in a span of five years. This opportunity will come with an internship allowance of Rs 5000 per month along with one-time assistance of Rs 6000. She further said that about 12 Industrial parks have been sanctioned under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.