Nirmala Sitharaman serves ‘middle-class bonanza budget’, opposition still unhappy

New Delhi: After the adjournment of Lok Sabha or Lower House of Indian Parliament where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the Budget 2023 speech, reactions came pouring in from various political parties across the country.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “The Union Budget for 2023-24 is focused on growth and welfare with a priority to provide support to farmers, women, marginalised sections and the middle class, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.”

Read all LIVE updates on Union Budget 2023 here

He added that the Budget proposals will lead the country towards achieving its goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and “top three” economy globally within a few years.

The defence minister said the Budget demonstrated the government’s commitment towards supporting growth and welfare-oriented policies that will benefit all sections of society including small business owners, farmers, and professionals alike.

Union Minister Smriti Irani said, “I’d like to extend gratitude to PM Modi. I won’t look at the Budget minutely. Going by today’s pronouncements, I believe that in the Budget, respect for women increased. I also welcome the announcement of National Digital Library for children & adolescents.”

“This is a middle-class bonanza budget but PM has spoken about inclusive growth. This has been an inclusive budget. There was something for SC, ST, OBC, women & elderlies,” Irani added.

Tejashvi Surya, a member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata said, “I want to thank PM Modi and FM Sitharaman for the announcement of the over Rs 5,000 crore irrigation project for the Upper Bhadra region of Karnataka. This project will be a game changer for the state: BJP MP Tejashvi Surya.”

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Budget will give a boost to the education sector, enhance skill development and create more jobs in the country.

“Giving a boost to education, skill dev, entrepreneurship, R&D, digital infrastructure, green growth & job creation, #AmritKaalBudget draws a meticulous blueprint for India@100 and lays a solid foundation for transforming India into a technology-driven knowledge-based economy,” Pradhan tweeted.

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hailed the Budget presented by the finance minister saying that it has beaten the global economic slowdown and the “Bharat bashing brigade’s propaganda”.

“The Union budget 2023-24 has beaten the global economic slowdown and the Bharat bashing brigade’s propaganda, and is committed to the country’s inclusive development. This is not just a budget, but a gazette of the country’s inclusive development and empowerment,” Naqvi said.

However, not everyone is happy with the Budget. Indian National Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that although there are “some good things” about the Budget, some questions still remain unanswered.

“There are some good things in #UnionBudget2023 but there was no mention of MNREGA, poor rural labour, employment & inflation. Some fundamental questions remained to be answered,” Tharoor said.

Branding the Budget as ‘Sapno ka Saudagar’, Janata Dal (United) MP Rajiv Ranjan said, “There is nothing in #Budget2023. It is like ‘Sapno Ka Saudagar’ – nothing comes true when you wake up after a dream. Also, nothing was mentioned about how to control inflation and unemployment.”

Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the Union Budget for 2023-24 has given “nirasha” (despair) instead of “asha” (hope) to people of the country.

“The BJP is completing a decade of its budgets, but when it did not give anything to the public earlier, what will it give now?” Yadav asked.

Another Congress MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi said that the budget presented no solution to issues like price-rise, inflation and unemployment.

“Poor got just words & rhetoric. Budget benefits only the big industrialists. Tax rebate up to Rs 7 Lakhs is insignificant considering the inflation & price-rise, it’s like drop in ocean for middle class,” Gogoi said.

With inputs from PTI

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