“Hollow…”, “Farewell budget”: Here is how opposition leaders are reacting to Union’s interim budget

The Opposition has termed Union government’s interim budget the “vidai (farewell) budget.”

“If any budget is not for development and any development is not for the people then it is useless. The BJP government has created a shameful record by completing a decade of anti-people budgets, which will never be broken again because now is the time for a positive government to come. This is BJP’s ‘farewell budget’,” SP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav posted on X in Hindi.

“The Modi government presented its last budget. Want to thank the finance minister because she did it with a very heavy heart and presented the last budget,” said former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray addressing party workers in Raigad district.

“Is this a budget to provide employment to the unemployed… This budget is nothing but to woo people in this year’s Lok Sabha elections,” said Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

“What’s worrying is that there is a budget deficit of ₹18 lakh crores. This means that the government is borrowing for its expenditure. This number is only going to increase next year,” said Congress MP Manish Tewari.

“The budget proves that this is a ‘jumla’ government. PM Modi had said in 2014 that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year but not even one crore people got jobs. Today they have given a new ‘jumla’ that they will give 55 lakh jobs… No step has been taken to reduce the inflation…” says Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi.

“The budget proves that this is a ‘jumla’ government. PM Modi had said in 2014 that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year but not even one crore people got jobs. Today they have given a new ‘jumla’ that they will give 55 lakh jobs… No step has been taken to reduce the inflation…” said Delhi Minister Atishi.

According to Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, “This budget was hollow. There was nothing for the youth, women, farmers…I saw arrogance when they said that they would present the Budget in July. You cannot take any election for granted.”

On Interim Budget 2024-25, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP NK Premachandran says, “Unfortunately, the finance minister is talking about the achievements of the last ten years. It is a temporary budget. Even then it is not giving any vision…The unemployment position in the country is alarming and nothing is mentioned about this…It is only an eloquent speech made by the finance minister…”