Opposition slams Modi govt’s budget 2024-25 as hollow & politically driven
New Delhi: The Modi government’s budget for 2024-25 has come under sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who have accused Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of making insubstantial promises and failed to address key issues facing the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, presented by Sitharaman today, the first post-poll budget of the BJP-led coalition government’s third term in office was quickly labeled by critics as a desperate effort to appease coalition partners rather than a comprehensive plan for India’s progress.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticized the budget on social media, describing it as a “Kursi Bachao Budget” that prioritizes appeasing allies and cronies over providing real relief to the common people.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also voiced his discontent on social media, saying that the budget is not for the progress of the country but to save the Modi government. He said, “The Modi government was distributing half-hearted ‘rewadis (freebies)’ to dupe its coalition partners so that the NDA’s survives. He expressed discontent over the budget’s lack of substantial provisions for crucial sectors, including youth, farmers, Dalits, Adivasis, backward classes, minorities, and the rural poor. Kharge condemned the budget for its failure to address inflation, rural development, and women’s safety, remarking, “There is nothing concrete.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav joined the criticism, labeling the budget as a tactic to retain power, with development measures for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh seen as politically motivated. Yadav questioned the BJP’s record on unemployment and its support for farmers and youth. His wife and Samajwadi Party MP, Dimple Yadav, expressed concerns over women’s safety and the government’s lack of measures to control inflation.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reacted strongly, condemning the budget as a failure with “zero warranty”. He said that the government was using it as a political tool rather than addressing pressing issues like unemployment and rising prices. “The BJP has crafted a budget to bribe its coalition partners and buy time before the government implodes”, he added.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee jibed, “This Budget is not for India. They have not given anything to Bengal. They can’t tolerate Bengalis. The BJP will be wiped out of Bengal.”
CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury echoed the dissent, arguing that the budget failed to address rising unemployment, inflation, and food prices. He noted that government expenditure relative to GDP has decreased, which he believes will exacerbate problems for the populace.
