India's Opposition Leaders Slam Modi Govt Amid Interim Budget 2024-25
India's interim budget 2024-25, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2024, has garnered mixed reactions from various political parties and leaders.
While the government highlighted its achievements and outlined its vision for the future, opposition parties criticised the budget for lacking substance and addressing crucial economic issues.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the budget for its brevity and lack of concrete implementation strategies.
Tharoor remarked, "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." He highlighted the absence of specific figures and raised concerns about the decline in foreign investment.
Akhilesh Yadav, national president of the Samajwadi Party, went further, condemning the BJP government for completing a decade of what he termed "anti-people budgets." Yadav expressed hope for a positive government to emerge, calling the budget a "shameful record."
Delhi AAP Minister Atishi accused the government of failing to address the issue of inflation. "No step has been taken to reduce inflation," she asserted, questioning the government's commitment to job creation despite its promise of 55 lakh new jobs.
Finance Minister Sitharaman, in response to the criticism, revealed the government's intention to release a White Paper on the mismanagement of the economy before 2014. Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram welcomed the initiative, stating, "We welcome the White Paper and will respond to it when it comes."
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury dismissed the budget as a mere election ploy. He commented, "Is this a Budget to employ the unemployed? This Budget is nothing but to woo people in this year’s Lok Sabha elections."
Sachin Pilot, another Congress leader, described Sitharaman's speech as an "election speech" lacking relief measures for the common masses. Pilot criticised the absence of measures to address rising inflation and voiced disappointment with the budget's focus on self-praise.
The Interim Budget 2024-25 has ignited a clash of opinions among political leaders, with some expressing disappointment over what they perceive as a lack of concrete measures to address crucial economic issues.
Further, the government's decision to release a White Paper has added a new dimension to the ongoing debate, leaving room for further discussions and responses from the opposition.
