Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister, did not even use the phrase "unemployment" once in her Budget address, according to Congress politician P Chidambaram, who was criticising Sitharaman's 5th Budget, which is delivered a year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, the FM did not use the words "poor," "inequality," or "equity" in her address, according to Chidambaram.


While criticising the Union Budget 2023-24, Chidambaram said it is "a callous budget that has betrayed hopes of vast majority of people," news agency PTI reported. 


"Mercifully, she said the word 'poor' twice in her speech. I am sure the people will take note of who are the concerns of the government and who are not," Chidambaram said while addressing the press conference organised by Congress. 






The Budget has not benefited the poor, young, taxpayers, or housewives, according to Chidambaram.


Slamming the governement, Senior Congress leader stated: "Who has benefited from this Budget? Certainly, not the poor, not the youth looking desperately for jobs, not those who have been laid off, not the bulk of the taxpayers and not the homemaker."


Noting the tax reduction in the Union Budget, Chidambaram said: "No taxes reduced except for small number of those who have opted for new tax regime; no cut in 'irrational' GST rates."






The fact that the new tax regime will be the default one is highly unjust, and it will deprive regular taxpayers of the social security that the old regime may still provide, according to Chidambaram. "Making new tax regime default option 'grossly unfair', will rob ordinary taxpayers of meagre social security under old regime," he said stated, PTI reported. 


'This Is Modi's OUPD Approach': Jairam Ramesh 


While many academics and business leaders praised Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2023, which made income up to 7 lakh tax-free, the opposition branded the budget opportunistic and claimed there was nothing in it for farmers and the poor.






According to Congress politician Jairam Ramesh, the budget is built on the OPUD (overpromise, underdeliver) approach. "Last year's Budget drew applause for allocation towards agriculture, health, education, MGNREGA & welfare of SCs. Today the reality is evident. Actual expenditure is substantially LOWER than budgeted. This is Modi’s OPUD strategy of headline management—Over Promise, Under Deliver," Jairam Ramesh tweeted.






'This Is Cheating The Middle Class': Shiv Sena


Slamming the budget, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi stated: “New Regime: Tax Exemption upto 7 lakhs but has take away deductions one could claim to minimise tax burden, a middle income person was incentivised to own asset by way of 80c (eg home loan), the government has taken that away. This is cheating the middle class!"






'Full Of Gimmick': Manish Sisodia On Union Budget 2023-24


Calling the budget "full of gimmicks," Manish Sisodia stated: "Most worrisome thing about budget is that it will drown country in debt," PTI reported. 


"Every year since 2014, new phrases have been heard in the budget. 'Acche din' & '15L' were just words. But what happened to promises related to Bullet Train, to double the income of farmers & 60 Lakh jobs Last year," said Delhi's Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, IANS reported.






"Union Budget 2023-24 has nothing for employment generation or controlling inflation; only has announcements for superrich," he further stated.


(With Inputs From Agencies)