Sanjay Raut joined the growing list of Shiv Sena leaders to slam the 2018 Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 2 February.
Jaitley’s 2018 Union Budget was fantastic, but only on paper. Farmers are still committing suicide in Maharashtra. What implementation will happen? How will they proceed? This needs to be seen with implementation.Sanjay Raut, Leader, Shiv Sena
Raut is just one among many Shiv Sena leaders who have called the budget a face-saving measure ahead of the 2019 general elections. Raut also reiterated the Sena’s intention to contest the 2019 general elections alone.
Gujarat elections were a trailer and the Rajasthan bypolls were the interval. We’ll show you the real film in 2019. There’s no question of us going back from our resolution of fighting alone in 2019.Sanjay Raut
'This is an Election Budget’
After the presentation on 1 February , Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told PTI:
This is a Budget for the election. Hence, the focus has been shifted from industries to farmers, healthcare and education. I have personally been pursuing the cause of quality education and healthcare for the masses, which the government has realised only now.Arvind Sawant, MP, Shiv Sena
He added that the Sena had aggressively been demanding that farmers, who had lost their produce due to climate change, be compensated and their loans waived.
'This Budget is the Centre Taking Desperate Measures’
Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande claimed that the Centre had taken "desperate" measures, following criticism over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, demonetisation and the BJP's reduced numbers in the Gujarat Assembly polls.
It seems like an election Budget that tries to please everybody. The government had faced flak over GST and note ban and after the Gujarat polls, where the BJP barely managed to scrape through, it had to take desperate measures.
Kayande further said that while the Centre talked about a decreasing inflation, it should tell the country the reasons behind the "all-time high" fuel prices.
"Similarly, millions of people are attached to the banking sector. However, the bank service charges are only increasing. Where is the relief for the common man? Where should the common man invest?" she asked.
Kayande also said that the women were hoping for a reduction in the GST rates on sanitary napkins, but that did not happen.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)