Congress slams budget as ‘insipid’ and lacking in stimulus for growth

Calling the Union budget "insipid" and lacking in stimulus for growth, the Congress on Saturday said the government's annual financial statement comprises piecemeal measures, repackaged schemes, jugglery of tax slabs and has no real solutions to solve the economic crisis.

Senior Congress 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 & no real solutions to solve the present economic crisis," Patel said referring to the Union Budget.

"After squeezing out LIC of profitability the govt now wants to sell it, to rescue itself," he claimed.

Patel also said that after "harassing" tax payers 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 no clear roadmap for job creation has been given in the budget.

The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, also said that core sector growth stood at 1.3 per cent in December, despite the significant fall from the same time last year, and Budget has failed to layout a roadmap on how the government plans to address this serious issue.