Opposition Terms It As ‘Kursi Bachao Budget’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the Union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha, saying it would give a new impetus to the economic development in the country. Modi lauded the budget’s sharp focus on the youth, backward sections, women and middle class.
“The budget will act as a catalyst in making India the third-largest economy in the world and will lay a solid foundation for a developed India,” he said.
The prime minister claimed that the budget will take the country’s villages, poor and farmers on the path of prosperity, while noting that that around 25 crore people had come out of poverty in the last 10 years.
“This budget is a budget for the continuation of the empowerment of the newly emerged, Neo Middle Class,” he said.
The proposed employment-linked incentive schemes will create crores of new jobs, Modi said as he stressed the NDA government’s commitment to generating employment and self-employment opportunities.
“The budget has come up with strong plans to empower the tribal society, Dalits and backward classes. This budget will help in ensuring the economic participation of women,” the prime minister said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the budget as “pro-development” and “visionary” and said it would fuel India’s pace in emerging as a developed nation.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the budget is unique in many ways. By clearly outlining the NDA government’s nine key priorities for all-round and inclusive development, it has successfully elevated India’s growth trajectory, he said.
“This budget will go a long way in making India a five trillion dollar economy by 2027,” Singh said in a post on X.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju termed the budget as “growth-oriented” which would benefit “everyone, especially youngsters and women”.
“The Union budget is in a way a dream budget for everyone, for all sections, especially youngsters and women…. This budget reflects the beginning of the realisation of the prime minister’s Viksit Bharat dream,” he said.
BJP allies—Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu—expressed gratitude for the budgetary announcements for their respective states.
The opposition parties, however, termed the budget as ‘kursi bachao budget’ and said it offers no relief for common men.
“Kursi Bachao Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states. Appease Cronies: Benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian. Copy and Paste: Congress manifesto and previous budgets,” Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge mocked that the budget is a “Save Modi Government” budget.
“Modi Government’s ‘copycat budget’ could not even copy Congress’ justice agenda properly! The Modi Government’s budget is distributing half-hearted ‘rewadis’ to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA survives. This is not a budget for the ‘progress of the country,’ it is a ‘save Modi government’ budget!,” he said.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram welcomed the move to abolish the Angel Tax, but said the budget also had “missed opportunities”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the Union budget as politically motivated, directionless and anti-people. “Directionless, anti-people, no vision, only political mission is there. I don’t see any light, it is dark,” she said.

Agencies