'India Is Paying Taxes Like England, Receiving Services Like Somalia': Raghav Chadha In Parliament

He labelled the budget as disappointing, claiming that it has failed to satisfy any section of society, including BJP supporters and voters.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, July 25, 2024.

Source : PTI

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday hit out at the centre over the Union Budget 2024 by saying that the country is paying taxes like England and receiving services like Somalia.

Speaking during the discussion on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha, he called the budget as disappointing and said it failed to satisfy any section of society, including BJP supporters and voters.

"Usually when a Union Budget is presented, some sections of society are happy while others are not. However, this time, the government has managed to displease everyone. Even BJP supporters are unhappy," Chadha said in the parliament.

We pay taxes like England
To get service like Somalia pic.twitter.com/dwdqoeI2cX

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) July 25, 2024

Emphasising the taxation burden, he stated, "In the last 10 years, the government has been taking around 70-80 per cent of the public's income through taxes such as Income Tax, GST, and Capital Gains Tax. What does the public get in return?" He questioned the quality of services provided by the government, adding, "We pay taxes like in England but receive services like in Somalia. What kind of world-class healthcare, transportation, and education is the government providing us?"

Commenting on the performance of the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Rajya Sabha MP noted, "In 2019, the BJP government had 303 seats, but the people of the country imposed a GST of 18 per cent on those seats, bringing them down to 240."

"The primary reasons for this decline are economy, economy, and economy," he said, attributing the BJP's lower seat count to economic concerns.

Chadha emphasised that over the previous 25 months, real rural wages have been "consistently declining" and that rural income growth is at a "decadal low". In addition, he expressed worries about per capita income, unemployment, and food inflation.

Mentioning unemployment, food inflation, and per capita income as reasons for the low number of seats, he sarcastically remarked that if these trends continue, the BJP may discover an even more significant decline in seats, potentially falling to 120 seats in future elections.