New Delhi: The opposition Congress on Saturday slammed the Union budget as "insipid" and lacking in stimulus for growth, even as the government hailed the finance document for 2020-21, saying it will rejuvenate demand in the economy.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the Union Budget for 2020-21, saying it will revive growth.
Singh said the budget is not only investment friendly but it will go a long way in doubling farmers' income and unshackling Indian industries.
"The first budget of the new decade presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gives an outline of a new and confident India. It is a promising, proactive and progressive budget which will make India healthy and wealthy in coming years," Singh said. ?
He said the budget has a clear focus on the welfare and development of all sections with a special attention to farmers, adding that the measures announced by Sitharaman will certainly spur growth and create new job opportunities.
"The budget also promises the investors, tax payers and wealth creators a predictable environment by assuring them of protection against tax harassment," Singh said.
"The new tax reforms introduced in the Budget this year are extremely progressive, bold and unprecedented in nature. The new tax regime will reduce tax burden on common man. It will pave the way for an efficient tax system, in sync with the best practises in the world," he said.
The defence minister also complimented Sitharaman for proposing policy intervention in areas like new technologies, saying investments in these sectors will build a strong foundation for a new India based on knowledge driven economy.
The Congress said the budget does not address the main issue of unemployment and describes the mindset of the government which is "all talk and nothing happening".
The opposition party said the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman comprises piecemeal measures, repackaged schemes, jugglery of tax slabs, and has no real solutions to solve the economic crisis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said there was no strategic idea or anything concrete in the Union Budget and it described the "hollow" approach of the government that was "all talk".
Talking to reporters outside Parliament soon after the presentation of the budget, he said it does not address the main issue of unemployment confronting the youth of the country.
"I did not see any concrete, strategic idea that could help our youngsters get jobs. There were redundant things in the budget and I did not see any central idea," he said.
"It describes the government quite well. There is a lot of repetition, a lot of rambling and nothing concrete. It describes the mindset of the government, all talk, all talk, all talk, and nothing happening," he said.
Senior party leader Ahmed Patel said that at a time when India is in the midst of an economic downturn, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech focuses more on praising the prime minister rather than helping the common citizen.
"Longest Budget speech is also the most lacklustre budget ever. After Acche Din, New India, it now appears that the government has also abandoned the target of USD 5 trillion economy," Patel said in a series of tweets.
This budget confirms not only the bankruptcy of the economy but also a bankruptcy of government's ideas, he claimed.
"Piecemeal measures, repackaged schemes, jugglery of tax slabs and no real solutions to solve the present economic crisis," Patel said referring to the budget.
"After squeezing out LIC of profitability, the government now wants to sell it to rescue itself," he claimed.
Patel also said that after "harassing" taxpayers for last six years, the government seems to have realised its disastrous impact on the economy.
"We hope this will not be mere lip service but will be implemented in letter and spirit," he said.
Congress leader and senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said that "budget is insipid, lacking in stimulus for growth" and has no clear roadmap for job creation.
Party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also slammed the budget and posed questions to Sitharaman on Twitter.
He alleged that the government's five trillion economy assertion had turned out to be a 'jumla' and there was no mention of the word employment in the budget.
"Will create five new smart cities? No mention of the 100 smart cities!" Surjewala said.
How did the number of those living below the poverty line increase, he asked.
The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, also said that core sector growth stood at 1.3 per cent in December, despite a significant fall from the same time last year, and budget has failed to lay out a roadmap on how the government plans to address this serious issue.
Step-motherly treatment: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that step-motherly treatment has been meted out to Delhi again in the Union Budget.
Kejriwal took to Twitter to express his disappointment over the Budget for 2020-21, and asked, "When Delhi doesn't figure in the BJP's priorities, why should people vote for it?"
"Delhi had high expectations from the Budget, but step-motherly treatment has been meted out to it again," he posted on the microblogging site in Hindi.
The AAP national convenor also asked that if the BJP was disappointing Delhi before the assembly elections, "will it fulfil its promises after the polls?"
Delhi goes to polls on February 8 and the assembly election results will be announced on February 11.
