Post-Budget LIVE: FM dismissed inflation ‘in 10 words’: Chidambaram in RS

The BJP on Wednesday dismissed the Congress’s charge of the Union Budget being “discriminatory” towards Opposition-ruled states and asserted that every state and section has been taken care of by the Modi government.

Participating in the general discussion on the budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP from Tripura Biplab Deb said the NDA will be in government till 2047 and will take India to newer heights, while making the country number one economy in the world.

He said the interests of all states and all sections have been taken care of. An additional Rs 4.82 lakh crore share has been allocated for the states, he added.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee is still there, it is there in the Budget also,” he said.

He also hailed the Modi government’s development works in the North East, saying there were only nine airports during the Congress rule but under the Modi government there are 16.

The BJP leader said the prime minister and his entire cabinet visited North East for its development innumerable times, while under the Congress rule only corruption prevailed there.

Samajwadi Party MP Birendra Singh called the Union Budget a “Sarkar Bachao Budget”.

“PM Modi is an MP from Uttar Pradesh [Varanasi seat] but we did not hear a word on Uttar Pradesh in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech. The way Uttar Pradesh stopped the BJP from getting a majority, probably it is paying the price for it,” he said.

Singh also called for a rollback of the Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

Dubbing the Budget a collection of “jumlas”, senior Congress leader Kumari Selja cautioned NDA members Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu that they may celebrate today for getting a large share but it doesn’t take long for time to change.

Selja initiated the discussion on the Budget and questioned how target groups were identified without a caste census.

She took the floor and began by congratulating the finance minister for presenting the budget six times. “As a woman, I congratulate her, and as a Congress MP, I am pleased that she has read our manifesto, which we prepared with great effort.”

She went on to say, “Who is this Budget for? Is it only for two states, or has some consideration been given to the entire country? It doesn't seem like anything beyond these two states or BJP-ruled states has been considered.”

“I would like to caution these two states... Nitish ji has been with us for a long time, serving in 10th Lok Sabha term, and Naidu ji is also very experienced. Do not be swayed by their (government's) words. It may seem today that they have given a lot, but it doesn't take long for the tide to turn. Therefore, I want to caution them (JDU and TDP) as well. They may celebrate today, but it doesn't take long for times to change,” she said.

Selja criticised the budget as “kursi bachao (save your seat) Budget”, “vichlit (uneasy) Budget”, a collection of “jumlas” (rhetorical promises), questioning how target groups of poor, women, farmers and youth were identified without a caste census.

“(LoP in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly demanded a caste census. How can you count the target group if you do not conduct and make the census public?” she questioned the focus on two states, suggesting bias towards BJP-ruled states and asking for clarification from Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

She also pointed out the declining trust in the government, “People do not trust this Budget, which is why the number of seats fell from 303 to 240.”

Turning to regional disparities, Selja expressed disappointment over the lack of mention for states such as Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir, which are heading towards elections. “It’s sad that even with three ministers from Haryana, the state received nothing.”

On agriculture, she lamented the halving of the agriculture budget and the neglect of the Swaminathan Committee report and MSP promises. “There is a severe agrarian crisis today, yet no attention is given,” she asserted, accusing the government of favouring corporates over farmers.

“While farmers sit in distress, you only support capitalists. Every farmer is in debt,” she said.

Selja criticised the handling of schemes like MNREGA and the government’s failure to mention it in the budget. “MNREGA was a saviour during COVID, but you have forgotten it now. When our time will come, we will ensure a minimum wage of Rs 400 per day,” she said.

Regarding education and health, Selja pointed out the deteriorating quality of primary education and the lack of action on employment. “There are 10 lakh vacancies at the central level, and Haryana alone has 2 lakh vacancies,” she said.

She also highlighted the unfinished Ayushman University project in Haryana, which was supposed to be a cornerstone of healthcare improvement.

Selja criticised the government's focus on renaming schemes rather than implementing effective policies. “You love renaming things. Calling a city ‘Smart City’ doesn’t make it smart,” she remarked, referring to the poor conditions in Faridabad and Gurgaon.

She emphasized, “You had 10 years in Haryana, yet nothing substantial has been done.”

The NCP (SP) on Wednesday staged a protest in Mumbai alleging discrimination against Maharashtra in the Union Budget, despite the western state being the highest tax-payer.

NCP (SP) workers led by city unit president Rakhi Jadhav held placards and shouted slogans against the Union government.

“Despite being the highest generator of tax revenue for the exchequer Maharashtra was ignored in the Budget and got nothing in allocations,” Jadhav told reporters.

The NCP (SP) leader wondered whether Maharashtra was discriminated against because of the BJP's debacle in the state in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the Opposition’s charge on Tuesday and claimed “substantial allocations” were earmarked for the state in the annual financial statement.