Congress Reacts To FM Sitharaman's Poll-Centric Budget Speech, Calls It "Disappointing, Vague"
"This is going to be a very disappointing speech in terms of being couched entirely in generalities and without enough substance nor any willingness to address the specific problems of the economy," says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her fifth Union Budget on February 1, for the fiscal year 2023-24. This marks the third consecutive year that a paperless budget was presented. Amidst projections of India's economic growth ranging from 6% to 6.8%, the nation's fastest-growing economy is expected to expand by 7% in the current fiscal year.
Nirmala Sitharaman announces no changes in Income tax | Image: ANI
Congress reacts to FM Sitharaman's interim budget speech
Congress has now strongly reacted to the interim budget, calling it "disappointing", "vague". Here are some of the reactions:
Congress MP Manish Tewari says, "It is a 'vote-on-account' which has only one purpose to keep the government solvent for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. What's worrying is that
there is a budget deficit of Rs 18 lakh crores. This means that the government is borrowing for its expenditure. This number is only going to increase next year."
On interim Budget 2024, Congress MP Manish Tewari says, "It is a 'vote-on-account' which has only one purpose to keep the government solvent for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. What's worrying is that
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024
there is a budget deficit of Rs 18 lakh crores. This means that¡ pic.twitter.com/X9Q6JRcS4w
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "It was one of the shortest speeches on record in the Budget. Not very much came out of it. As usual a lot of rhetorical language, very little concrete on implementation...She talked about foreign investment without acknowledging that that investment has come down significantly. She talked about a number of things which are couched in vague language like 'confidence' and 'hope' and so on. But when it comes to hard figures, very few figures available...This is going to be a very disappointing speech in terms of being couched entirely in generalities and without enough substance nor any willingness to address the specific problems of the economy..."
#WATCH | On Interim Budget 2024-25, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "It was one of the shortest speeches on record in the Budget. Not very much came out of it. As usual a lot of rhetorical language, very little concrete on implementation...She talked about foreign investment¡ pic.twitter.com/x0AhgGSlQ4
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram says, "Mere administrative exercise to ensure that the government of India has the requisite funds to carry on its normal business until the new parliament is constituted and a new government is formed. And that's what they have done, except for making their obligatory self-congratulatory, self-praise phrases, nothing else is there and nothing should have been there, and rightly so. Nothing is there."
#WATCH | On Interim Budget 2024-25, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram says, "Mere administrative exercise to ensure that the government of India has the requisite funds to carry on its normal business until the new parliament is constituted and a new government is formed. And that's¡ pic.twitter.com/ms5Tsx3gqD
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024
Other opposition members' reactions to Sitharaman's budget speech
Other members of the opposition parties have also condemned the budget. Take a look at the reactions:
#WATCH | On Interim Budget 2024-25, AAP MP Swati Maliwal says, "This is a disappointing budget. Inflation and unemployment are at their peak in the country but there is nothing about it in the budget...It is a disappointing budget for the common people." pic.twitter.com/9Ksu1BZ7AS
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024
#WATCH | Delhi: On Interim Budget 2024-25, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran says, "The Finance Minister took a long time to hail praises but delivery was zero. They are going to present a white paper on the previous government... Nothing much has happened in the last 10 years. The people¡ pic.twitter.com/IbTb4MJUsd
¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024
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