Terming the middle class a victim of tax terrorism and has been reduced to the government’s ATM, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday unveiled his party’s manifesto for the upcoming Delhi elections and Union Budget-2025, listing seven Budget demands from the Centre that AAP MPs will raise in Parliament for the interests of the middle class.

Kejriwal accused other political parties of treating the middle class as “just an ATM for the government” saying the middle class is the real superpower of the Indian economy but has long been ignored and exploited solely for tax collection.

The party’s key demands from the Centre include increasing the education budget from 2% to 10%, providing scholarships for higher studies, enhancing the health budget, removing taxes on essential commodities, introducing a pension scheme for senior citizens, and offering a 50% concession on railway tickets for senior citizens.

This is the first time that a political party in Delhi has tried to address issues of middle class. Delhi’s middle class, which comprises a significant 45 percent of its population and could provide to be a key deciding factor in the upcoming polls. The poor account for 35 per cent, the middle class 45 per cent, and the upper class around 20 per cent of Delhi’s population.

“Tax should be removed from health insurance. Fourth, income tax exemption limit should be increased to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 7 lakh. GST should be removed from essential commodities. Sixth, a strong retirement plan and pension schemes for senior citizens. Free medical services for senior citizens in all government and private hospitals across the country and seventh,

senior citizens should get a 50% concession in rail travel,” the former Delhi CM said.

Reacting to Kejriwal’s demand, BJP MP from South Delhi and Chairman of the Assembly Election Manifesto Committee, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the AAP convener is shedding crocodile tears for the middle class is just a political gimmick for the assembly polls. “Kejriwal should tell the people what he has done for the middle class in Delhi in the last 10 years,” he added. In a joint statement, BJP MPs Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Praveen Khandelwal have said that every word Kejriwal spoke showed how cunning and manipulative he is.