Opposition parties gave thumbs down to the Union Budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, blaming the Centre for failing to come up with a clear road map to recover the economy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the budget had nothing for common people.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the budget benefited corporates.
Congress leader Anand Sharma called it a ‘disappointing’ budget without a road map for the revival of consumer demand. “The nation needed a bold budget & more direct transfers to the weaker sections to revive demand, restart job creation,” he said.
The Union Budget 2021-22 came out with a host of demand-side measures, with an intention to create jobs primarily through big infrastructure announcements.
Manish Tewari, another Congress leader said that the Budget lacked central focus.
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Many opposition members raised slogans over the farmers' protest as soon as Sitharaman began her speech. Congress MPs Jasbir Singh Gill and Gurjeet Singh Aujla were seen wearing a black gown to the Parliament as a mark of protest against the three contentious farm laws, which has led to lakhs of farmers agitating near Delhi's borders for over two months.
"There are announcements for poll-bound states," Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said. Another Congress leader Hibi Eden called it a "purely political budget."
Sitharaman announced infra push for poll-bound West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Assembly elections in these states are scheduled later this year.
TMC leader Derek O' Brien called it a "100% visionless budget"
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called it a 'manifesto promises to election going states'
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had highlighted sectors that the government 'must' focus in the Budget, including MSME. Gandhi also urged on the need to generate employment for the farmers and workers in the country and increase expenditure in the healthcare and defense sectors.
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