New Delhi (Business Correspondent): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman presented the union budget 2025 in the parliament on Saturday with the aim of Viksit Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that, “The #ViksitBharatBudget2025 reflects our Government’s commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.” However, opposition termed it as only a ‘mercifully short speech.’
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that they didn’t even hear the words “unemployment” or “inflation” from the Finance Minister today. It was a mercifully short speech, but she didn’t mention either of those words, which is not so merciful.
He further said, “The fact is, if you have a job and earn Rs 12 lakh or less, there’s every reason to be happy. However, if you don’t have a job, it’s unclear from this Budget where the job opportunities will come from. If you’re living in Bihar and are from an ally party, you’ll likely receive sops to aid your election efforts. Ironically, this is the same party that advocates for ‘0ne Nation, One Election’.”
We didn’t even hear the words “unemployment” or “inflation” from the Finance Minister today. It was a mercifully short speech, but she didn’t mention either of those words, which is not so merciful.
The fact is, if you have a job and earn Rs 12 lakh or less, there’s every… pic.twitter.com/LovBKyXYgw
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 1, 2025
Addressing to the press, former finance minister P Chidambaram said, “BJP is wooing the tax paying middle class and the Bihar electorate. These announcements will be welcomed by the 3.2 crore tax paying middle class and the 7.65 crore voters of Bihar. For the rest of India, the Hon’ble Finance Minister had no more than soothing words, punctuated by the applause of BJP members led by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. Let me first look at the financial performance in the current year, 2024-25.
• Revised revenue receipts are lower by Rs 41,240 crore. Revised net tax receipts are lower by Rs 26,439 crore.
• On the expenditure side, total expenditure has been cut by Rs 1,04,025 crore and capital expenditure has been cut by Rs 92,682 crore.
Of this cut, the sectors that have suffered and the amounts cut are:
Health: ₹1,255 crore
Education: ₹11,584 crore
Social Welfare: ₹10,019 crore
Agriculture: ₹10,992 crore
Rural Development: ₹75,133 crore
Urban Development: ₹18,907 crore
Development of NE: ₹1,894 crore.”
The take away from Budget 2025-26 is that the BJP is wooing the tax paying middle class and the Bihar electorate. These announcements will be welcomed by the 3.2 crore tax paying middle class and the 7.65 crore voters of Bihar. For the rest of India, the Hon’ble Finance Minister… pic.twitter.com/fQN19nwfz9
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 1, 2025
Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav walked-out of the Lok Sabha when Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were presenting the Union Budget 2025 and said, “the figures of people who lost their lives in Maha Kumbh are more important than the budget figures. The figures that are being quoted are false figures.”
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati said, ” The current BJP government’s budget, like that of the Congress, seems to be more about political interests and less about the people and the country. If this is not the case, then why is the life of the people continuously troubled, miserable and unhappy under this government? The dream of a ‘developed India’ should also be in the interest of the Bahujans.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote on X, “Is the Union Budget Statement a fraud when it comes to Tamil Nadu? Even the name Tamil Nadu does not appear regularly? We have made so many demands, but have you not felt like confirming even one of them and including it in the report? Highways – Railway projects – Coimbatore, Madurai Metro Rail Why are they not giving anything? What is stopping them?”
MK Stalin further wrote, “Tamil Nadu occupies a prominent place in all the reports of the Union Government, such as the Economic Survey, the Ranking of Higher Education Institutions, and the NITI Aayog report. Page after page, Tamil Nadu’s activities are praised. But why is Tamil Nadu completely ignored this year in the Budget Report alone? Shouldn’t the financial allocation reflect at least a small part of the interest shown in imposing policies and language that Tamil Nadu does not accept?”
“As the Union Government keeps reducing its share in its projects, the financial burden on the state government is increasing. The Union Government, which provides very little subsidy in various projects, has imposed various restrictions on Tamil Nadu alone. The Union Government, which is obsessed with advertising, does not release the project funds that are due to us if the Union Government’s stamp is not included in the project advertisements, even if the project is implemented correctly and properly. The Union Government, which praises only advertising, refuses to show any concern for the welfare of the people,” MK Stalin added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal wrote on X, “A large part of the country’s treasury is spent on waiving off the loans of a few rich billionaires. I had demanded that it be announced in the budget that from now on, the loans of any billionaire will not be waived off. With the money saved from this,
1. Middle class home loans and vehicle loans should be waived off; farmers’ loans should be waived off.
2. Income tax and GST tax rates should be halved.
I am sad this was not done.”
