The Union Budget 2024 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman faced strong criticism from the Opposition on Thursday. They expressed their concerns over the fiscal deficit, which they found to be extremely worrisome.
During the budget presentation in Parliament, Congress leader Manish Tewari addressed the media and highlighted the alarming nature of the fiscal deficit. He pointed out that the numbers presented by the Finance Minister clearly indicated an unfunded extent of over 18 lakh crore in the Union Budget for this year, and he emphasized that this figure would only increase.
Furthermore, Sachin Pilot, the Congress general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, shared his views on the budget while interacting with the media at the Jaipur Literature Festival. He described it as an interim budget that lacked relief for the common man. Pilot criticized the budget speech for being more politically motivated and praised the government, which he believed was a common occurrence at every event. He also expressed disappointment over the budget’s neglect of farmers and youngsters.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, dismissed the budget as useless, stating that it did not cater to the needs of the people. He emphasized that if a budget does not prioritize development for the people, it holds no value. Yadav further criticized the BJP government for completing a decade of anti-people budgets, claiming that this record would never be surpassed. He called for a positive government to take charge and bring about meaningful change.
During the interim budget presentation in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Indian economy has experienced a significant and positive transformation in the past decade.
In her address to the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman also emphasized the government’s commitment to inclusive development, guided by the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas.”
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, while speaking to reporters during Sitharaman’s speech, described the Union Budget 2024 as a mere administrative exercise to ensure that the government has the necessary funds to continue its regular operations until the new Parliament is formed and a new government takes charge. According to him, apart from the obligatory self-congratulatory phrases, there is nothing substantial in the budget, and rightly so.
Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), took a dig at the BJP-led Centre after the presentation of the Union Budget. He stated that the government has finally acknowledged the existence of four specific groups of people in the country – the poor, women, youth, and farmers.
Thackeray expressed gratitude towards the finance minister of the Modi government for presenting the last budget with a heavy heart. Farooq Abdullah, a National Conference MP, commented on the Budget 2024, stating that the actual budget will be presented in July and expressed hopes for benefits to the people, growth in tourism and industries, and progress for the nation. Danish Ali, a Lok Sabha MP who was recently suspended from Mayawati’s party, remarked that there were no new announcements in the budget. Dayanidhi Maran, a DMK leader, also expressed disappointment, stating that not much change has occurred and the people are already disappointed. Swati Maliwal, an AAP MP, labeled the budget as “disappointing” and highlighted the high levels of inflation and unemployment in the country. During the presentation of the Union Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized that the government’s highest priority is to meet the needs and aspirations of four major castes – the poor, women, the youth, and farmers. Sitharaman also announced the formation of a high-powered committee to address challenges arising from rapid population growth and demographic changes.