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From ‘innovative’ to ‘hollow’, who said what about Budget 2024
While leaders of the ruling BJP lauded the Interim Budget 2024 as inclusive and innovative, members of the Opposition pointed out that they were disappointed.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented her sixth straight budget, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In keeping with tradition, Sitharaman paid a visit to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan before revealing the pre-election budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 in Parliament. Follow full coverage of the Interim Budget here.
The 2024 interim budget unveiled a range of initiatives designed to strengthen diverse sectors of the economy and tackle urgent societal issues. These included plans for free electricity under a rooftop solar scheme to increase medical coverage for some government workers. In a relief to taxpayers, Sitharaman announced no changes in the taxation structure.
While leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauded the Budget as inclusive and innovative, leaders of the Opposition termed it "disappointing and hollow".
Here's who said what about the Interim Budget 2024.
Budget guarantees of making India a developed nation by 2047: PM Modi
In a video message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the Interim Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying that it offers the "guarantee" of strengthening the foundation of a developed India.
He said the Budget will empower the four pillars of developed India, namely the young, poor, women and farmers. "This is a budget for creating India's future," he said.
“This interim budget is inclusive and innovative. It has confidence in continuity. It will empower all 4 pillars of Viksit Bharat – Yuva, Garib, Mahila and Kisan. This Budget gives the guarantee of making India a developed nation by 2047.”
Budget shed light on milestones achieved by the Modi govt: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Interim Budget 2024-25 draws the roadmap to achieve PM Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047.
He pointed out that Sitharaman's speech in the Parliament sheds light on the milestones achieved by the BJP government in the last 10 years.
"The Union Budget draws the roadmap to achieve PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of a Developed Bharat by 2047. The budget speech sheds light on the milestones achieved by the Modi govt in the last 10 years on its journey to make Bharat the foremost nation in every sector during the Amrit Kaal," Shah wrote on X.
Budget outlines vision for strong & self-reliant developed Bharat: Rajnath Singh
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the Interim Budget 2024, saying that it outlines the vision for a confident, strong and reliant developed Bharat.
In a post on X, Singh said there is something in this Budget for every section of the society.
“Inspired by PM Narendra Modi's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047, this Budget gives a glimpse of India’s rapid economic transformation. There is something in this Budget for every section of the society. There is big push for infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, and housing and technology development in this Budget,” Singh wrote on X.
Interim Budget 2024 | 6 key takeaways from Nirmala Sitharaman's speech
He also told reporters outside Parliament that even though Budget presented is an interim one, it still presents a hope for the way ahead.
Housing scheme announced in Budget is a revolutionary step: JP Nadda
BJP president JP Nadda on Thursday asserted that the housing scheme announced in the Budget is a revolutionary step.
"This far-sighted budget lays the foundation of a developed India. The housing scheme for the middle class announced in this budget is a revolutionary step...We don't just give the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' but alleviate poverty. The target for Lakhpati didi has been raised to 3 crores. MSME sector to be made global. The tourism and renewable energy sectors have been focused upon in this budget..." he told ANI.
Nadda was referring to the announcement of a new housing scheme for the middle class to buy or build homes as part of the Interim Budget for 2024-25. In her speech, Sitharaman said that the scheme would help deserving sections of the middle class currently living in rented houses, slums, chawls and unauthorised colonies to buy or build their own house.
Budget speech was short and disappointing: Congress' Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor referred to Sitharaman's Budget speech as one of the shortest on record and alleged that it was disappointing.
“It was one of the shortest speeches on record in the Budget. Not very much came out of it. As usual, a lot of rhetorical language, very little concrete on implementation,” Tharoor said.
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He added: "She (Sitharaman) talked about foreign investment without acknowledging that investment has come down significantly."
Budget speech mere grandstanding: Congress' Manish Tewari
Congress leader Manish Tewari said what was "extremely worrying" was the increasing fiscal deficit because the numbers that have been presented by the finance minister clearly demonstrate that over ₹18 lakh crore is the unfunded extent of the Union Budget, and "the number is going to increase over the next year".
"If you leave that aside for a moment, the rest of the budget speech was a mere grandstanding. It was like driving looking into the rear view mirror rather than looking ahead," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
This was Modi govt's farewell budget: Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed this was the Narendra Modi government's farewell budget.
"If any budget is not aimed at development, if any budget is not for the people than it is a waste. The BJP government has made a shameful record of the governance over the last ten years, which will never be broken because a positive government will soon come. This is BJP's farewell budget," he wrote on X.
Huge difference between saying and doing: Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed that the Interim Budget of 2024 showed a huge difference between the sayings and doings of the Central government.
"There is a huge difference between saying and doing, this is what we have been seeing for the last 10 years... There is nothing in it for the poor, women and youth. This budget has poured cold water on the expectations of the general public..." Chaturvedi told ANI.
