Even as the Opposition flayed the Union Budget terming it as anti-people with no relief for anyone, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the same claiming that it was a good and balanced budget having something for everyone.
“There are various beneficial schemes for the poor, farmers and senior citizens in this budget for which both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance minister Arun Jaitely should be thanked,”said Yogi adding that the budget would expedite the pace of development in the country.
The CM said that the budget would facilitate a better life for everyone as several measures were aimed at giving a boost to farming and rural sector, infrastructure and small and medium enterprises.
However, former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP government terming the budget to be Rs destructive’ and a factor which would hasten the countdown for the ouster of the Narendra Modi government.
“In its last budget, the BJP has shown it only favours the capitalists. Now people will give a befitting reply in the poll. It’s a slap on face of traders, women, working class and common man. The poor, farmers, labourers are disappointed. This is an arrogant and destructive budget, which ignores the problems of the masses,” Yadav said in lucknow on Thursday afternoon. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also dubbed the
Union Budget as anti-poor and pro-capitalists. In a statement issued in lucknow, she said that like previous budgets of the Modi government, this one too was ‘anti-poor and pro-capitalists’. “What happened to Modi’s promise of ‘achchey din’ made before the 2014 lok Sabha poll IJ” she asked.
Mayawati also accused the Prime Minister of making ‘misleading speeches and claims’.
“The BJP-led NDA government does not care a fig for the poor, labourers, farmers and working class. As a result of which unemployment is spiralling and the chasm between the rich and poor was widening,” she stressed.
State Congress president Raj Babbar also criticised the Union Budget and said that the middle class felt cheated due to no relaxation in Income Tax slab while farmers were shocked as the Modi government has once again cheated them in the name of facilitating better price for their yield.
“The Finance minister once again misguided the nation on giving Minimum Support Price to farmers and ensure at least 50 percent profit over the cost incurred,” pointed Babbar while highlighting that how production cost of wheat as per government record was more than Rs 2400 and the MSP was Rs 1600, which meant that farmers were not getting even what they were investing.
The Congress leader also said that the government initially claimed to provide 2 crore jobs and later 1 crore jobs in the last budget. “But now in this budget, the government spoke of just 70 lakh jobs and that too seems a distant dream,” he said.
It was the last full-fledged budget of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre before the 2019 lok Sabha poll and the ruling alliance hopes that its emphasis on rural sector would help it connect with masses.