AMN
Several opposition leaders have criticised the government, saying the budget has nothing for the middle class and the youth of the country.
Addressing a public rally in Sadar Bazar, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “The budget was presented today, the target of the budget was to benefit 25 people. They will give you a little, they will waive a little tax but if you see the target of the budget, is to provide India‘s money to 20-25 billionaires. In India, 50% are backward class, 15% are Dalits, 8% are tribals, 15% are minorities and suppose, 5% are from poor, general-class people. Look at the owners of private hospitals, colleges and universities, big companies, take out the list of big judges and show me who are from the backward class, who are Dalits, who are tribals, minorities, how many are from the poor general class, they are the elected people, they are their friends…”
Talking to the media outside Parliament, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that the budget does not discuss the problem of unemployment and other issues concerning the youth.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said that the budget has nothing for the middle class, and the government is only trying to hoodwink the masses.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran accused the government of ignoring the middle class in the budget. He said that several announcements have been made for Bihar, as the state is going to polls, while southern states have been ignored completely.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal of Akali Dal also echoed similar views, saying that Punjab has also been ignored in the budget.
However, Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UT) welcomed the budgetary announcement of income tax relief.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, “Government employees live in large numbers in Delhi. There are many units of business, small and medium businesses, high-end businesses and the MSME sector in Delhi, so the people of Delhi will especially benefit from this. The middle class and salaried earners live in such large numbers in Delhi. There are people from the army, central government employees, and state government employees. Everyone including small traders will benefit. People from the MSME sector will benefit. I think every citizen of Delhi will celebrate today and I feel that today every person of Delhi has got a very big gift from respected Prime Minister Modi….”