Opp takes "Kursi Bachao Budget" jibe while govt terms it as roadmap to 'Viksit Bharat'

NEW DELHI: After the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first Budget in Narendra Modi 3.0, the Opposition parties slammed the Centre, terming the budget as "Kursi Bachao Budget", while the ruling parties said that is the roadmap for a "Viksit Bharat". Sitharaman made history as the first finance minister to present seven consecutive budget speeches, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai's record of six consecutive budgets as finance minister between 1959 and 1964.

The Finance Minister, in her seventh consecutive Union Budget for 2024-25, outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. The priorities include Productivity and Resilience in Agriculture, Employment and Skilling and services. The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Union Budget 2024-25, accusing the Finance Minister of making hollow promises.

Taking to social media platform 'X,' he tweeted, "Kursi Bachao Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets." Mallikarjun Kharge also took to 'X,' tweeting, "Modi Government's 'copycat budget' could not even copy Congress' justice agenda properly! The Modi Government's budget is distributing half-hearted 'rewadis' to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives.

This is not a budget for the 'progress of the country,' it is a 'save Modi government' budget!" Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram noted that the budget had "missed opportunities" and welcomed the adoption of Congress' Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) and Apprenticeship scheme. However, he wished more ideas from the Congress manifesto had been included.

Chidambaram also welcomed the move to abolish the Angel Tax, a long-standing demand of the Congress. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the Union Budget, labelling it a ploy to retain power by mentioning special projects for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Yadav said, "They have increased unemployment in the last 10 years," and questioned what the BJP had done for farmers and youth. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that Modi government has failed to conduct Census and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech on Tuesday did not mention funds for decadal Population Census which was supposed to take place in 2021. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the Union Budget 2024-25 calling it politically motivated, directionless, anti-people, and lacking vision. "Directionless, anti-people, no vision, only political mission is there. I don't see any light, it is dark," she said.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that the budget would not benefit farmers on the ground. Speaking with ANI, Tikait said, "They (the Centre) might find this budget good on paper, but it is not going to benefit the farmers on the ground. Companies that will teach organic farming to the farmers are going to benefit from this." However, the government and its allies defended the Union Budget saying that it will provide employment to youth and will take country towards development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Union Budget 2024-25, presented on Tuesday, will give new impetus to economic development in the country.

"This is a budget that will take the country's villages, poor and farmers on the path of prosperity. In the last 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. This budget is a budget for the continuation of the empowerment of the newly emerged, Neo Middle Class," PM Modi said in his remarks on the budget.

"This will give new strength to the middle class. It has come up with strong plans to empower the tribal society, Dalits and backward classes," he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the first Budget of the Modi 3.0 government, saying that the pro-people and pro-development visionary Budget 2024-25 fuels the nation's pace in emerging as a developed nation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised the Union Budget 2024-25, as an inclusive and development-oriented plan that aligns with the aspirations of India's 140 crore citizens. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 has been reflected in the Union Budget 2024-25 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.

"This is a dream budget for all sections, especially for youth and women. Capital expenditure of more than Rs 11 lakh crore has been allocated. PM Mod's dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 is clearly reflected in the budget," Kiren Rijiju said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday thanked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for giving the highest allocation to the defence sector. In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, "As far as the allocation to the Ministry of Defence is concerned, I thank the Finance Minister for giving the highest allocation to the tune of Rs 6,21,940.85 Crore, which is 12.9 % of the total Budget of GoI for FY 2024-25. The capital outlay of Rs 1,72,000 Crore will further strengthen the capabilities of Armed Forces," the Defence Minister said in a post on X.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia lauded the Union Budget 2024-25, highlighting its alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Vikasit Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. "The budget, drafted with 'Amritkaal' to 'Mission 2047' in mind, ensures comprehensive development across sectors such as agriculture, rural development, education, and healthcare," Scindia stated.

He commended PM Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their efforts, noting that the BSE Sensex has surged by 20,000 points over the past year and that India's economic growth has reached a record 8.2%. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National President, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for addressing the needs of Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget for the financial year 2024-25, adding that this support will go a long way towards rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday that he told the NDA leaders about the special status or a special package, and as a follow-up, they have announced aid for a lot of things.

"I have continuously spoken for this (special status), I told them as well (NDA). I told them to give us either a special status or a special package. As a follow-up, they have announced aid for a lot of things. We were speaking of special status and a lot of people said that the provision for special status has been done away with much earlier. So, instead of that, aid should be given to help Bihar. They have now started it," Nitish said. Praising the Budget 2024-25, Union Health Minister and BJP National President, JP Nadda said that the budget stands as a testament to India's commitment to inclusive growth, sustainable development and economic resilience.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that the budget 2024-25 presents a very solid fiscal consolidation simultaneously sending a powerful message that now the government will be concentrating on employing 4.1 crore youth. The Union Budget 2024-25, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, has garnered positive reactions from industry leaders who highlight its comprehensive approach to fostering economic growth, ease of doing business, and structural reforms. Sanjiv Puri, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), lauded the budget for its wide-ranging investments across multiple sectors.

He emphasized the budget's focus on simplifying business processes and legislative frameworks. Puri said, "It has brought in a lot of investments into a number of sectors right from agriculture, and manufacturing to services. A lot of focus is on ease of doing business, and a lot of areas are getting simplified. The Finance Minister also spoke about a comprehensive review of Tax legislation, to simplify it."

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO of CBRE for India, South-East Asia, Middle East, and Africa, highlighted the significance of digitizing land records. Niranjan Hiranandani, Chairman of Hiranandani and NAREDCO, expressed enthusiasm for the budget's focus on fiscal incentives and structural reforms aimed at employment-centric sectors.

He emphasized the government's strategic emphasis on youth employability through private sector internships, salary support, and CSR-funded training. Chairman of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) MP State Council has said that the Union Budget 2024, presented in the parliament on Tuesday, is a monumental step towards India's ambitious goals.