‘Nothing Budget’: Political reactions pour in after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech
The Congress on Tuesday accused finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi of betraying the country's salaried and middle classes by not announcing any relief measures for them in the Union Budget.
When finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented Union Budget 2022 in the Lok Sabha, the treasury benches gave an uproarious response to the measures announced by her by thumping their desks. On social media too, several Union ministers welcomed the presentation of the Budget and the announcements made in it.
The opposition, however, criticised the government for not paying attention to the needs of the middle class.
Here are the political reactions to Union Budget 2022:
Defence minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the increase in procurement budget for the defence sector. “The 68 percent of defence capital procurement budget has been allocated towards local procurement. It is in line with the ‘Vocal for Local’ push and it will certainly boost the domestic defence industries,” he said on Twitter.
He also said that the proposal to reserve 25 per cent of the R&D budget for startups and private entities is an excellent move.
“This budget, brought by the Modi government, is a visionary budget, which will prove to be a budget to change the scale of India's economy. This budget will make India self-reliant and lay the foundation of a new India of the 100th year of independence. I congratulate @narendramodi ji and @nsitharaman ji for this,” said Union home minister Amit Shah.
He further said that this Budget will propel India among the world’s leading economies.
“The Budget presented by the finance minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman ji under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is a budget to promote modern infrastructure in the country, which will lay the foundation of a new India and improve the lives of 130 crore Indians,” Union minster Nitin Gadkari said on social media platform Koo.
Janata Dal (United) leader Upendra Kushwaha said that the Budget ignored states like Bihar. “The Union Budget is historic for developed states, but disappointing for #बिहार. Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman ji has disappointed all of us Biharis by ignoring the demand for #विशेष_राज्य status to Bihar,” he posted on Koo.
Among the initiatives announced by Sitharaman is increasing the number of television channels for education. The announcement was welcomed by former information and broadcasting minister Prakah Javadekar. “Creation of 100 channels for education will take digital education to remote areas as well as eliminate the digital divide, so that good education will be available to all,” he said on Twitter.
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, criticised the Budget. “Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment & inflation. Govt is lost in big words signifying nothing - a Pegasus spin budget,” she said on Twitter.
The Congress too attacked the central government with party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala calling it a "Nothing Budget”.
“Truth of #Budget2022 - 'Nothing Budget'. The pocket of the poor is empty, nothing. Empty pocket of the employed, nothing. The pockets of the middle class are empty, nothing. Farmer's pocket empty, nothing. The hope of youth is broken, nothing. To increase consumption, nothing. Promotion of small industry, nothing,” he said in a Twitter post.
Another Congress leader Manickam Tagore added that it is a "pro-corporate" and "pro-rich" budget with nothing for the middle class and farmers.