Shortly after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget 2024 on Thursday, 1 February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while congratulating her, called it the "dream Budget." Meanwhile, Opposition leaders stated that there was not much in the 'much-awaited' interim Budget.
"It's an inclusive and innovative Budget. Youth, poor, women and farmers - the Budget will empower all of them. This Budget gives the guarantee of making India a developed nation by 2047," noted PM Modi.
Talking about his government's last Budget in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi added that the "historic" interim Budget for Vikasit Bharat will create "innumerable opportunities for the youth."
"This Budget has a reflection of the young aspirations of a young India. Two important decisions were made within the Budget. For research and innovation, a fund of Rs 1 Lakh Crore has been announced."
'Where Is The Budget?' Ask Opposition Leaders
Many Opposition leaders expressed views on the Budget 2024-25.
Lok Sabha MP Shahi Tharoor stated: "I think the Budget speech was both short and disappointing. There was very little of substance, major omissions and lots of issues were not even touched about."
"It's not just an interim budget but their (BJP government) final budget, and there's no question about it. This is a government that has completely run out of ideas. They have essentially given us a whole rhetoric. It was only the shortest budget speech on records since I started following budget 15 years ago."Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP
Meanwhile MP Danish Ali said: "Where was the Budget? Nothing new was announced."
Calling it a temporary Budget, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP NK Premachandran noted, "Unfortunately, the finance minister is talking about the achievements of the last ten years. It is a temporary Budget. Even then it is not giving any vision...The unemployment position in the country is alarming and nothing is mentioned about this...It is only an eloquent speech made by the finance minister."
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram stated that "this was only done as an administrative exercise."
"This is only an interim (Budget), vote-on-account, and this was only done as an administrative exercise to make sure that the government of India has requisite funds to carry out its regular activities," he told ANI.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot in Jaipur says, "The Finance Minister's speech sounded like an election speech. The President's address was also used as political speech."
"They (BJP government) say that they have done a lot in the last 10 years. Therefore, they should release a comparative statement about the guarantees they have fulfilled. However, they never gave that," said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at a press conference.
'Cold Water Over Expectations'
Many woman leaders from the Opposition also reacted to the budget. While Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that Sitharaman has poured "cold water" over expectations of the people, Delhi minister Atishi Marlena called it a "jumla."
Delhi Minister Atishi said, "The budget proves that this is a 'jumla' government. PM Modi had said in 2014 that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year but not even one crore people got jobs. Today, they have given a new 'jumla' that they will give 55 lakh jobs. No step has been taken to reduce the inflation," she said.
Moreover, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal further called the budget "hollow."
"There was nothing for the youth, women, farmers...I saw arrogance when they said that they would present the Budget in July. You cannot take any election for granted," Badal remarked.
Newly-sworn in AAP MP Swati Maliwal also echoed the sentiments of other leaders and said, "This is a disappointing budget. Inflation and unemployment are at their peak in the country but there is nothing about it in the budget...It is a disappointing budget for the common people."
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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