Budget Reactions Highlights: INDIA MPs To Protest In Parliament As States With Non-BJP Govts 'Blacked Out', Congress Leader Says
Union Budget Reactions Highlights: As Nirmala Sitharaman presents the first Budget of Modi government 3.0 for a 'Viksit Bharat', catch all the LIVE updates on ABP Live.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva says, "It is not a Union Budget. Allotting more funds indiscriminately to certain states which are in favour of them and those parties which are in alliance with them. We have to say that the Budget has assured that fund will be given to some states which are prone to floods, in future. But Tamil Nadu has already suffered because of flood and cyclone. We have asked for relief fund but nothing has been given. So, we are totally let down. They have not treated Southern states as part of India. So, it is totally political in nature and nothing has been done in favour of poor people...Our state has been totally neglected. So, we don't have anything good to say for this Budget..."
Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi says, "Delhi is the growth engine of the country. It pays more than Rs 2 lakh crore in income tax to the Centre and Rs 25,000 crore as central GST. Despite paying Rs 2.32 lakh crore in taxes to the Centre, Delhi was asking for just Rs 20,000 crore, which is just 0.4 per cent of the Union Budget. But no money was given as its share in central taxes or to the MCD..."
President of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, has voiced strong criticism of the Union Budget, highlighting several areas where he believes Odisha has been overlooked.
In a statement, Patnaik pointed out that the BJP had promised special category status for Odisha in its manifesto. However, this promise remains unfulfilled, while substantial packages worth crores have been announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. "The BJP had put special category status in their manifesto as a promise to the people of Odisha, however, this promise has not been considered for Odisha," he remarked. He further noted that the state’s longstanding demand for a revision of coal royalty, pending with the central government for years, has been rejected, resulting in a significant revenue loss for Odisha. "The state will lose thousands of crores of revenue every year," he said.
Patnaik also criticised the government for not addressing the promises made to Odisha during election campaigns, especially in sectors such as agriculture, MSME, and industry. "There is no mention of any promise being fulfilled in this budget. This is a complete neglect of Odisha and her people," he added.
Highlighting Odisha's vulnerability to natural disasters, Patnaik expressed disappointment over the lack of a special package for disaster management. He observed that while other states' requests for flood protection packages have been granted, Odisha’s genuine demands have been ignored. "On both counts, whether it is special package or revision of coal royalty, Odisha continues to be neglected by the NDA," he stated.
Addressing broader economic concerns, Patnaik criticised the budget for its lack of significant measures to tackle inflation and unemployment. "Today, the most serious issue being faced by the common public is inflation/price rise, and unemployment. This budget does not have any considerable intervention to address these two major issues," he remarked.
Patnaik also brought up the ongoing Polavaram issue, accusing the government of partiality. "Allocating more and more funds for Polavaram without sorting out the genuine grievances of Odisha shows partiality against Odisha," he commented.
Reflecting on the broader regional focus, Patnaik pointed out that despite repeated claims of focusing on Eastern India, including Odisha, the state has seen no substantial benefits over the years. "Every budget talks of focus on Eastern India, including Odisha. There has been nothing substantial for Odisha over the years, and this budget has also been a disappointment for us," he stated.
However, Patnaik did express some optimism regarding tourism. "I’m happy to see there is a focus on tourism for Odisha. I hope it is substantial, and we shall wait for the details to come out," he concluded, though he reiterated his overall disappointment. "Along with the people of Odisha, I feel disappointed at the continued neglect of Odisha while the state contributes so much to the country."
"BJP had put special category status in their manifesto as a promise to the people of Odisha. However, this promise has not been considered for Odisha. Whereas special packages allocating crores of funds have been announced for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Along with this, the demand of Odisha for coal royalty which has been pending for years with central government has been rejected because of which the state will lose thousands of crores of revenue every year," says former Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik
On the meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says, "We discussed the budget...Wherever there is a non-BJP government, the budget has been blacked out...In the name of development, there is nothing...we will hold a protest tomorrow in the Parliament regarding this. We will raise our voice inside the Parliament also...This is not the budget of the BJP, it is the budget of the whole country, but they have presented it as if it is BJP's budget..."
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin says, "It is appropriate to boycott NITI Aayog meet, since the Centre has totally ignored Tamil Nadu. In order to establish Tamil Nadu's rights, we will continue to fight in the people's court. DMK MPs will stage protest in Delhi on July 24 over Union Budget. To satisfy a few regional parties that made a 'minority BJP' into 'majority BJP', schemes announced for a few states."
"There is no mention of the word 'Tamil Nadu' or 'Tirukkural' in the Union Budget," he remarked.
"The budgetary allocation for railways is at a record level today. Before 2014, the allocation for railways used to be of the order of Rs 30,000-35,000 crore. In this Budget, there is a record allocation of Rs 2,62,200 crore. That is a very large amount. Out of this, the allocation for safety related activities is of the order of Rs 1,00,000 crore and more," says Union Minster Ashwini Vaishnaw.
"PM Modi has worked in a focused way for the Railways in the past 10 years. Before 2014, about 20,000km of railway lines were electrified. However, in the last 10 years, about 40,000km of railway lines were electrified," he added.
“Indexation has been removed. This means if one sells their house today, then it will be a big tax liability because indexation is not allowed. This is a major strike against the middle class. If one had sold their house earlier, then one needed to pay tax on index value minus sale. Today, one will need to pay tax on sale and the value of the house at that time. I believe this will have an effect on black money and the cash transactions that take place while buying a house. A detailed analysis will be given later after we carefully read both the provisos,” says Congress leader Supriya Shrinate.
"I have already tweeted that I am happy that the honourable Finance Minister had an opportunity to read the Congress manifesto after the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. She has virtually adopted the ideas underlined in our proposal on employment-linked incentive PLI scheme, the apprenticeship scheme with an allowance to the apprentice and the abolishment of the angel tax. I welcome her to borrow our ideas and I wish she had borrowed or adopted many more ideas from the Congress manifesto," says Congress MP P Chidambaram
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad tells ANI, "I had a lot of expectations from the budget regarding the welfare schemes for youth, farmers, women but there was nothing in it...What will happen after the internship?... Steps have been taken to make the unemployed more unemployed... No steps have been taken to reduce inflation...Nothing has been done for MSP guarantee...The budget for health and education has not been increased...No welfare scheme has been introduced for the welfare of ST, SC students..."
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "What did the common man, farmers, students get from the budget in the past ten years?... Earlier budget used to be made for only one state Gujarat, now two more states have been added to it...For the first time, I have seen that a budget has been made to save the government and not for the welfare of the nation"
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "What did the common man, farmers, students get from the budget in the past ten years?... Earlier budget used to be made for only one state Gujarat, now two more states have been added to it...For the first time, I have seen that a budget has been made to save the government and not for the welfare of the nation"
"This Budget will help in making a new and strong India. Every section of the society has been taken care of in this Budget. When Rs 11,000 crore will be spent on infrastructure, it will surely boost the entire economy, will make our logistics cheaper, and will help in making export industry get more competitive," Union Minister Piyush Goyal tells PTI
"The details will be released soon but we will surely get relief from the angel tax as announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman... Let us wait for the guidelines but I am sure that it will take care of everybody's interests. And I can assure you that it is a listening government," he added.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tells ANI, "Opposition's work is to not to be happy from the budget...I would recommend them to analyze the budget...They should have also done something (for Bihar)...Andhra Reorganisation Act was of 2012, it was their (opposition) work, now if we have done this, they should be happy..."
" "Directionless, anti-people, no vision, only political mission is there. I don't see any light, it is dark...They make tall claims and make promises during elections. But after they get votes, they forget Darjeeling, Kalimpong...People in the hills of Darjeeling should remember this. Let Sikkim get things, we have no objection but keeping Darjeeling deprived is not right...This Budget is anti-people, anti-poor and not for the common people. This is a Budget to appease one party. This is a Budget full of political biases," says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
Union Minister-BJP national president JP Nadda says, "The first Union Budget for 2024-25 in the third term of Narendra Modi government stands as a testament to India's commitment to inclusive growth, sustainable development and economic resilience. This visionary budget not only addresses the immediate needs of the nation but also lays down a robust framework for long-term prosperity, prioritizing infrastructure development, technological innovation and social welfare. It paves the way for a more prosperous and equitable India. The budgets, forward-looking policies and strategic investments are poised to accelerate growth, create jobs and enhance the quality of life for all citizens. This budget is a significant step towards realizing the aspirations of a dynamic and self-reliant India. I congratulate Narendra Modi, and I congratulate the Finance Minister and team for giving a budget which is focused on Gaon, Garib, Mahila, Yuva, Dalit, and Adivasi. This budget serves the aspirations of all sections of the society. This budget speaks of the economic and financial stability of India. It also demonstrates how resilient the Indian economy is to the external challenges in this budget...."
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri says, "...This budget presents a very solid fiscal consolidation. I mean, the fact that the economy has grown well in the last few years, the fact that the projection onward is very healthy. The fact that our fiscal deficit has come down from 5.1 to about 4.89%. The fact that this budget is sending a very powerful message that in the coming time, we will be concentrating on 4.1 crore youth who will be employed over five years. For the first time, an innovative scheme has come to be able to give internships to a large number of our youth in the top 500 companies of the country. So all these taken together, I was particularly pleased with another aspect, which is the fact that we have walked the talk. We have gone from women's centre to women-led development...So these are some of the takeaways. As I said, the theme is on women's led development, on providing skilling and jobs for youth and presenting an overall healthy fiscal consolidation position where we are moving from a $3 trillion economy to a $5 trillion economy from the 10th to the fifth and we are moving, according to the IMF, to the third largest economy in the world by 2027."
Co-founder & Group CEO of MakeMyTrip Rajesh Magow says: "The government's continued emphasis on infrastructure development is commendable. Enhanced road infrastructure will bolster the travel and tourism sector. We also welcome the initiatives to develop iconic spiritual and cultural sites into world-class tourist hotspots. The decision to reduce the TDS rate on e-commerce operators to 0.1% is a welcome move. Furthermore, the provision of credit for TCS against income tax under 'Income from salaries' is logical and will provide much-desired relief to taxpayers who travel internationally."
Deepak Pahwa, Director of Bry-Air, Pahwa Group said that the focus of the Budget on sustainability and green energy showcases the country’s commitment to becoming a net zero economy by 2070. "Additionally, the exemption of lithium from custom duty will minimize the cost of Li-ion batteries, it can significantly empower the energy storage industry while exhibiting grid resilience for deeper penetration of EVs across the country,” Deepak Pahwa said.
CREDAI West Bengal president Sushil Mohta said that the announcement of a Rs 2.2 lakh crore initiative to make urban housing more affordable, along with the proposed investment of Rs 10 lakh crore to address the housing needs of 1 crore urban poor and middle-class families, are positive steps toward urbanisation. "Rental housing with dormitory-type accommodation for industrial workers in PPP mode is the need of the hour and will provide better living conditions for industrial workers... I welcome this growth-oriented budget, particularly its focus on women’s empowerment. This would enable more women to own properties, as the Finance Minister has urged state governments to lower stamp duties to encourage women-centric investments in real estate," he said.
“They didn’t do anything for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in the last 10 years. This shows that there is fear among them that their government might fall. The Budget is the same as it was before. They have done injustice to West Bengal. Rs 1.65 lakh crore have not been given yet since last five years. Even legitimate money was not given. So, this Budget is nothing but a hollow Budget,” says TMC MP Kirti Azad.
CM Nitish Kumar on 'special package' for Bihar, "...I have continuously spoken for this (special status), I told them as well (NDA). I told them to give us either a special status or a special package...As a follow-up, they have announced aid for a lot of things...We were speaking of special status and a lot of people said that the provision for special status has been done away with much earlier. So, instead of that, aid should be given for helping Bihar. They have now started it..."
The Merlin group hailed the Budget's focus on urban housing. “The real estate industry will play a crucial role in achieving the country's sustainable development goals as 40% of India’s population will reside in urban areas by 2030. So, the budget is a positive move towards urbanisation," said Saket Mohta, MD, Merlin Group. "But We expected more state-specific infrastructure projects in West Bengal as Hon’ble FM spoke on the growth focus on the eastern region," he added.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala says, "This budget is a 'Jhunjhuna budget'. This is a complete disappointment. There is no relief for farmers... No mention of employment generation has been in this budget. SC ST and OBC were completely wiped out from this budget... The middle class and working class haven't got any relief in tax exemption for the past 10 years..."
"There was no mention of the funds which were supposed to be allocated for caste census. Youth were demanding permanent jobs... they copied a programme and called it internship. They just cut and paste our scheme. The country is reeling under inflation, but they did not make any mention of steps to tackle it," says Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu thanked the Modi government for ‘Special allocations’ made to Andhra Pradesh, "On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I thank the Hon'ble Prime Minister, @narendramodi Ji and Hon'ble Union Finance Minister, @nsitharaman Ji, for recognising the needs of our State and focusing on a Capital, Polavaram, industrial nodes and development of backward areas in AP in the union budget of FY 24-25. This support from the Centre will go a long way towards rebuilding Andhra Pradesh. I congratulate you on the presentation of this progressive and confidence-boosting budget."
Rajya Sabha LoP and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, "This is a disappointing Budget. It is meant only to save the govt's chair...The expectation we had for MSP on crops and subsidy on pesticides has not been met...So many accidents are happening in Railways but improvement of railway tracks or passenger safety not focused upon..."
Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi slams the Modi government saying, "“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."
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "No INDIA alliance governments got anything. No opposition parties got anything including Karnataka. It is unfortunate and I never expected this from FM Nirmala Sitharaman."
MD & founder of Gujarat-based renewable energy firm Goldi Solar Ishver Dholakiya calls the Union Budget a "forward-looking" and "progressive" plan. "The government's focus on climate risk mitigation, women's workforce development, and energy security positions India as a leader in sustainable development. Exempting capital goods for solar manufacturing will reduce costs and boost domestic production." He further said that the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which offers up to 300 units of free electricity monthly to 1 crore households, will promote the adoption of rooftop solar power.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury says, "The issues like increasing unemployment, inflation and food prices were not addressed properly as they should have been. The government expenditure as per GDP has decreased. The economy will contract so the problem of the people will increase... Subsidies have been decreased... The economic activity has to be increased to increase the employment generation... The incentives to the employers will not increase the employment generation opportunities..."
BJP MP from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut says "Relief fund has been promised for Himachal Pradesh. We are very happy with the budget..."
Post Budget 2024: MoS Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu says "The Govt has done the work of giving strength to the common people of the country. Stress has been given to job creation, employment generation, the private sector, and FDI. I want to thank PM Modi who had promised to take care of Andhra Pradesh and in the budget he has done that. In the last 5 years, Andhra Pradesh became a no-capital state. The people and farmers of the state want to thank PM Modi for providing a package of Rs 15,000 crore and to complete the Polavaram project which is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh."
On Union Budget, Ashish Chauhan, CEO of NSE and ex-CEO of BSE says, "I would give 10/10 to this Budget. It is a very focused Budget for employment generation and with a focus on infrastructure development..."
Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi protest against the central government, outside Parliament.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says "To save their government, they have granted special packages to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. But for UP, which even gave the country so many PMs, they gave nothing. The government did not announce anything for the farmers or the unemployed youths."
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia described Budget 2024 as "futuristic". "It will determine India's path to becoming 'Aatmanirbhar'. All sectors including agriculture, rural development, health care, technology, and education have been considered."
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says: "The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC's Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC's proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki. However, in their trademark style, the scheme has been designed to grab headlines, with arbitrary targets (1 crore internships) rather than a programmatic guarantee for all diploma holders and graduates, like the Indian National Congress had envisioned."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "Over the years, we have learnt to not have high expectations from this government's budgets. We will have to see what they come up with..."
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh says that crores of Indians are suffering from inflation. So all eyes will be on the measures announced to curtail inflation. "Farmers have been demanding MSP for a long time now... NDA allies are also demanding the revocation of the Agniveer scheme. Employment, MSP, and inflation will be the major areas of focus... For the last 9 years, Delhi has not been receiving more than Rs 325 crore for the sole reason that the people of Delhi elected AAP," he alleged.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh says that crores of Indians are suffering from inflation. So all eyes will be on the measures announced to curtail inflation. "Farmers have been demanding MSP for a long time now... NDA allies are also demanding the revocation of the Agniveer scheme. Employment, MSP, and inflation will be the major areas of focus. I can leak the Budget of Delhi now. For the last 9 years, Delhi has not been receiving more than Rs 325 crore for the sole reason that the people of Delhi elected AAP," he alleged.
Union Budget, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "The PM through the Budget will help the 'crorepatis' who are close to him. The middle class and the sincere taxpayers will not get anything except hollow promises."
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat says: "The resolution of PM Modi's government since 2014 is that India should become self-reliant and the way the country is moving ahead in this direction in a systematic manner, this time, too, the Budget has been announced in the same format..."
Background
Union Budget Reactions Highlights: The world's eyes were on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she tabled the first full Budget of the Modi 3.0 government. With the current GDP at $3.9 trillion at a growth rate of 8.2%, it all boiled down to whether it would be a reformative or a populist Budget.
As the BJP failed to get an absolute majority, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hard pressed to keep his allies, especially Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu, happy. Andhra and Bihar bagged special packages for development of the respective states.
What Does The Opposition Say About Budget 2024
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday criticised the Union Budget, labelling it a "kursi bachao budget" and alleging that it offers hollow promises to BJP allies at the expense of other states. He further claimed that the budget is a mere "copy and paste" job of the Congress manifesto for the 2024 polls and previous budgets.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for 2024-25, marking her seventh consecutive presentation and surpassing the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. This is the first budget in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term in office.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated, "'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."
The Congress party also criticised the Union Budget, accusing it of being more focused on posturing than action. The party claimed that the "copy-paste government" had borrowed heavily from their manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. The opposition also pointed out that the budget indirectly acknowledges mass unemployment as a national crisis, asserting that political compulsions are evident throughout the document.
PM Modi Hails 'Visionary' Budget 2024
In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Union Budget for its focus on youth, backward sections, women, and the middle class, as well as on manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. He asserted that the proposed employment-linked incentive schemes would create crores of new jobs.
"This visionary budget will uplift and empower every stratum of our society, paving the way for a brighter future for all," Modi said in televised remarks following the budget presentation. He emphasised that the budget aims to strengthen the middle class and provide new opportunities for education and skills development.
"The budget has 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 added. He also highlighted that the budget will open new paths for the progress of small traders and MSMEs, with a significant focus on manufacturing and infrastructure to boost economic development.
Prime Minister Modi noted that over the last decade, approximately 25 crore individuals have been lifted out of poverty. "Building on this momentum, this budget will further energise the aspirations of our neo-middle class. Unprecedented opportunities will be unleashed for our younger generation," he said, adding that the budget will empower the middle class like never before.
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