New Delhi: As Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday presented the Budget for 2023-24 in Parliament, several opposition leaders called out the Centre terming the budget “anti-people and anti-poor”.
Sitharaman announced no tax for those with an annual income of up to Rs 7 lakh under the new tax regime but made no changes for those who continue in the old regime.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the budget and said that it will deprive the poor.
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“This Union Budget is not futuristic, totally opportunistic, anti-people and anti-poor. It will benefit only one class of people. This Budget will not help address the country’s unemployment issue. It has been prepared with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” she said.
“The changes in the income tax slabs will not help anyone. There is no ray of hope in this Budget — it is a dark dark budget. Give me half an hour and I will show you how to prepare a Budget for the poor,” she added.
PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the budget is not people-friendly. She said that the budget has been prepared keeping in mind the interests of a few businessmen
“Taxes have increased and money is not being spent on welfare schemes or subsidies. Taxes are being amassed for their crony capitalists. The taxes imposed should have benefitted the people, but they have broken their backs.
“Rather than benefitting people, welfare schemes and subsidies are being done away with. The situation in the country is such that those who had risen above the poverty line have again fallen below it,” Mufti said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there is no relief from inflation in the budget.
“There is no relief from inflation in this budget. On the contrary, this budget will increase inflation. There is no concrete plan to remove unemployment. It’s unfortunate that they reduced education budget from 2.64% to 2.5%. Reducing health budget from 2.2% to 1.98% is harmful,” he said.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that there is no solution to price-rise, inflation, unemployment in the budget.
“Poor got just words and rhetoric. Budget benefits only the big industrialists. Tax rebate up to Rs 7 lakh is insignificant considering the inflation and price-rise, it’s like drop in ocean for middle class,” he said.
JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan also criticised the budget and said that nothing was mentioned about how to control inflation and unemployment.
“There is nothing in Budget 2023. It is like ‘Sapno Ka Saudagar’ – nothing comes true when you wake up after a dream,” he said.
Congress K Suresh called the budget a “pro-corporate” one and said all interests of Adani are fulfilled in this budget and the common man has been ignored. “This budget is for Adani, Ambani, Gujarat,” he said.
