SP joins oppn in criticising Budget

Samajwadi Party, which is extending support to the government, on Monday joined the opposition in ridiculing the General Budget, terming it as "sour", "trepid" and "unimpressive".

Samajwadi Party, which is extending support to the government, on Monday joined the opposition in ridiculing the General Budget, terming it as "sour", "trepid" and "unimpressive".

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RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who had criticised the Rail Budget two days back despite his association with the ruling UPA,
however, struck a conciliatory tone and described the Union budget as a "balanced" one. SP, BJP, Left parties, JD(S) and BJD were critical of the budget even as the Congress hailed it.

"While the Rail Budget was sweet and sour, this budget is only sour," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said while reacting
to the Budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament. He particularly said farmers and rural areas have been neglected in the budget.

"I do not see any great message in the budget. It is timid, trepid and unimpressive," senior BJP leader and former
Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha said.

He said he would have expected the government to list steps it was taking to fight global recession but the budget
had nothing on it.

Sinha said the fiscal deficit has gone up and there was no boldness shown by the Finance Minister as focus on infrastructure projects like roads, airports is missing.