NEW DELHI, Feb 1: Labelling Budget 2022-23 a “Nothing Budget” with no provisions for farmers, youth or the poor, the Congress on Tuesday also accused the Government of betraying the salaried and middle classes by not announcing any relief measures for them.
Several Congress leaders, including former president Rahul Gandhi, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a “Lollypop budget”. The opposition party alleged that the Government’s “anti-farmer and anti-poor” face is exposed as it has cut fertiliser subsidy and also reduced food subsidy and MGNREGA funds.
“Modi Government’s Zero Sum Budget! Nothing for – Salaried class, Middle class, the poor and deprived, Youth, Farmers and MSMEs,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the salaried and the middle classes have been affected due to pay cuts and high inflation.
“India’s salaried class and middle class were hoping for relief in times of pandemic, all round pay cuts and back breaking inflation. FM and PM have again deeply disappointed them in Direct Tax measures,” Surjewala said on Twitter.
“This is a betrayal of India’s Salaried Class and Middle Class. #Budget2022,” he said.
Terming the document a “Nothing budget”, he said in a Twitter post in Hindi that it has nothing for the poor, the salaried and the middle classes as well as farmers and the youth “whose pockets are empty”.
“Budget2022: The anti-farmer face of the Modi government has come out. The promise of doubling farmer’s income by 2022 is now in the waste basket. Fertilizer subsidy cut by Rs 35,000 Crore! No mention of MSP guarantee! Inflation at 7 percent and agriculture budget raised by only 2.7 percent, Kisan Nidhi by only 0.74 percent,” Surjewala said.
He also alleged that the promise of two crore jobs every year under the ‘Make in India’ scheme has been proved to be a ‘jumla’ with the government now proposing it will create 60 lakh jobs through PLI (production linked incentive) schemes. “There is no account of how many jobs were created earlier under ‘Make in India’ and no plan either on how and by when the new jobs would be created under PLI schemes.”
There is nothing, he added, to increase spending and to promote small scale industry.
“Budget2022 motto – Cut Subsidy, hit the poor and farmer! FY 2021-22(RE) & FY 2022-23 – Food Subsidy slashed from Rs 2.86 Lakh Crore to Rs 2.06 Lakh Crore! Fertiliser Subsidy slashed from Rs 1.40 Lakh Crore to Rs 1.05 Lakh Crore! NAREGA budget slashed from Rs 98000 Crore to Rs 73000 Crore!,” he said in another tweet.
The Congress party on its Twitter handle dubbed it a “Lollypop budget” and said, “BJP’s empty budget, betrayed the country again.”
“It’s been 2 years since the pandemic rocked the nation and the world, but the private final consumption expenditure has still not even reached pre-covid levels. At this rate, when will our nations economy recover, and what is the Modi govt doing to help?” the Congress asked.
“Since 2014, the total debt of the GoI has nearly tripled. Modinomics has proven disastrous, increasing tremendously the debt burden on our nation,” the party said.
In his comments soon after the finance minister presented the budget for 2022-23 in Parliament, Surjewala also asked how the government was imposing tax on profit from crypto currencies when it is not clear if it is legal.
“And Ms Finance Minister, please do tell the Nation – Is Crypto Currency now legal, without bringing the Crypto Currency Bill, as you tax the crypto currency?
“What about its regulator? What about regulation of Crypto Exchanges? What about investor protection? #Budget2022,” the Congress spokesperson said in another tweet.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This budget is only for the rich as it has nothing for the poor. It is aimed at benefitting their own people, who are rich and nothing for the poor. This attitude is not good for the people of the country.”
He alleged the government has repeated its earlier promises, which are porving false, like constructing houses for the poor.
The government’s plan of disinvestment is also wrong, as privatising profit-making undertakings like LIC will hurt people and their jobs will be taken away after privatising it, he said.
“Nothing has been given to the salaried class in tax relief, but decreased corporate tax…This is Dronacharya and Arjun’s budget and not of Eklavya,” Kharge said, making a reference to the Mahabharat.
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