Budget 2022 disappoints salaried, middle class, says Congress; Check reactions

The finance minister presented the Union Budget for FY 2022-23 on February 1. In her Union Budget 2022-23 speech, Sitharaman did not announce any change in income tax slabs for 2022-23. The income tax rates for 2022-23 were also not revised.

Here's how the politicians reacted to the announcements made by the finance minister:

In a first political reaction on Union Budget 2022, Congress senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi disappointed the salaried class and the middle class population.

“India’s Salaried Class and Middle Class were hoping for relief in times of pandemic, all round pay cuts and back breaking inflation. FM and PM have again deeply disappointed them in Direct Tax measures. This is a betrayal of India’s Salaried Class and Middle Class,” Surjewala tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi: Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has called the Union Budget 2022 a "Zer0 Sum Budget".

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor: "Extremely disappointing, a damp squib! There seems to be absolutely nothing in this Budget. It's an astonishingly disappointing Budget. When you listen to the speech, no mention of MGNREGA, of Defence, of any other urgent priorities facing the public."

Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Chief Minister Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee has said that The Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment and inflation. "Govt is lost in big words signifying nothing - a pegasus spin budget." she tweeted.

Arvind Kejriwal: "People had high expectations from the Budget during the corona period. The Budget has disappointed the people. There is nothing in the Budget for the general public. Nothing to reduce price rise," Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

Mallikarjun Kharge: "Budget is only for the rich; it has nothing for the poor. It's Arjuna and Dronacharya's budget, not Eklavya's (from Mahabharata). They also mentioned cryptocurrency, which doesn't have any law, nor has it been discussed before. The Budget is benefitting their friends," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.