Himanta Sarma asks Lalu Prasad: Will RJD still stick with Congress for targeting Modi govt over Budget's focus on Bihar?

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe at the leaders of the opposition for criticising the Union Budget 2025. On Union Budget 2025 and the opposition's criticism regarding it, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, " The middle class will benefit from it, and those earning up to Rs 12 lakhs won't have to pay taxes and your savings will again come into the market. When the tax savings come into the market, our retailers will benefit from it and the economy will grow. Opposition sometimes insults Assam, Bihar and Delhi. In our country, Bihar comes last when it comes to development, Bihar's economic potential has become very less, people of Bihar contribute the most to the development of the country so if Bihar has received something out of this budget, Congress needs to be happy but opposition and Congress have taken an anti-Bihar stand."
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday termed Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's comment on the Union Budget as "politically motivated" and said he has "zero knowledge" of the country's economy. Addressing a press conference, Sarma also slammed Congress for not increasing the tax exemption limit during the "60 years of rule".

"The Congress should not criticise the Union Budget at all. They should know how much relief they had offered to the middle-class people. After 60 years of rule, they did not give relief of up to even Rs 5 lakh," he said.

#WATCH | Delhi | On #UnionBudget2025 and opposition's criticism regarding it, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, " ...The middle class will benefit from it, and those earning up to Rs 12 lakhs won't have to pay taxes and your savings will again come into the market...when the tax pic.twitter.com/Tdppfv4HlP
ANI (@ANI) February 2, 2025

The Union Budget 2024-25, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Saturday, provided major relief to the salaried class with no income tax on an average monthly income of up to Rs one lakh to boost household savings and consumption with the government also giving thrust to four engines of development - agriculture, MSMEs, investment and exports.

The Finance Minister's announcement on tax relief means that the salaried class will pay nil income tax up to Rs 12.75 lakh. Opposition parties slammed the Budget, saying it was silent on the problem of unemployment and accused the government of "throttling MGNREGA".

Sitharaman received warm facilitation from BJP members and the party's allies soon after her speech with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulating her.

Congress and other opposition parties slammed the Union Budget. Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said Sitharaman is walking on "a worn-out path" and she and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have not followed the advice of the Chief Economic Advisor on the need to deregulate and that the government's "stranglehold" on the activities of the people is getting tighter.

*With Agency Inputs