Budget caters to interests of only 2 states, claims TMC's Abhishek Banerjee

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading a "creaky, shaky and vulnerable" coalition government that looked after the interests of only two states in the budget, ignoring all other citizens in the country.

Participating in the discussion on Budget 2024-25, he said the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is "anti-people" and aimed at "appeasing and compensating" coalition partners of the ruling NDA.

"The budget has no vision and agenda. There is no relief to the common people and the budget has neglected 140 crore people of the country," he said in a hard-hitting speech amid repeated disruption by a few BJP members from West Bengal.

Banerjee claimed the 2024 general elections' results are a rejection of "arrogance and divisive politics" of the BJP.

He said everything in the third term of the Modi government remained same with ministers retaining the same portfolios except that the number of "cheer leaders" of the ruling party has gone down, which is a big change.

It is a "creaky, shaky and vulnerable" coalition government that will explode soon, he claimed.

The TMC MP said he will expand the word 'BUDGET' as B for betrayal, U for unemployment, D for deprived, G for guarantees which were failed by the government, E for eccentric decisions and T for tragedies.

He said the NDA government has allegedly betrayed the citizens, farmers, housewives, daily wage earners and many others during its rule.

Banerjee said prices of essential commodities have gone up, household savings have plummeted and debts have gone up.

"It is a betrayal of the marginalised communities," he alleged.

He claimed that BJP does not have a single Muslim MP in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and any of the state assemblies which showed the party lacked diversity.

The TMC leader claimed that the BJP has "failed to keep the promise" to provide 2 crore jobs to youths as the problem has gone up manifold.

Banerjee said the Modi government has "deprived" West Bengal and other parts of the country from various benefits, including MNERGA and housing scheme.

"Since you have failed the defeat us politically in West Bengal, you are now conspiring against the people of the state," he alleged.

He claimed that the guarantees given by the central government has not fulfilled and that include fight against blackmoney, terrorism, providing free houses to poor.

Banerjee claimed "eccentric decisions" taken by the government like the "unplanned lockdown", farms laws and demonetisation led to deaths, loss of jobs and economic despair among others.

He claimed that the budget failed to mention many "tragedies" like the ethnic violence in Manipur.

Countering Banerjee, BJP's Bansuri Swaraj said the TMC leader used three objectionable and unparliamentary words and he should apologise.

Speaker Om Birla said he will get the matter examined.

He also urged members not to challenge the Chair in their speeches.

Hitting out at the TMC leader, Union minister G Kishan Reddy said what Banerjee has claimed applies on the West Bengal government and not the government of India.