CPI(M), Trinamool, SP pan Modi’s Budget 2019

Leaders of Opposition parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Samajwadi Party (SP) have slammed the Interim Budget presented by Union Minister Piyush Goyal.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury took to Twitter to blast the last budget presented by the Modi government before the country heads for the general elections.

“Promises made today are not worth the paper they are written on. Modi govt came to power in 2014 promising 10 crore new jobs, 100 new smart cities, doubling of farmers income & 15 lakh in each bank account. This is another attempt to fool people before Polls but it won’t succeed,” he said.

“There is no Economic Survey. So there is no data on which the exercise today is based. #InterimBudget,” he said, while adding in another tweet, “There is no credible data anyway as we know from the hiding of the crucial NSSO Jobs data. Yet, the Modi govt has presented a collection of Jumlas as the sixth budget in five years. #InterimBudget.”

He took further digs: “A farmer’s family of five being given Rs 3 per day as some largesse makes it evident how disconnected the Modi government is from the rural crisis of its making, crushing our annadatas. They have even refused to pay their rightful dues, their MSPs!”

He also blasted the Modi government of completely ignoring the country’s armed forces. He said, “Budget allocation for defence has fallen to an all-time lowest ever in India's history. Considering the rate of inflation and foreign exchange rates, it is not possible to keep the armed forces at the same level, leave alone modernise the military. This is the Modi govt’s legacy.”

West Bengal Chief Minister and AITC supremo Mamata Banerjee called it an ‘expiry budget’, one of ‘desperation’ which will not be implemented.

“We feel this is an expiry budget. This is a budget of desperation. This budget will not be implemented,” the AITC official handle retweeted.

Her other remarks were:

“Within the last one year, two crore jobs have been lost. And now there has been a cut of 13.4% in Skill Development Budget. This is a show-off budget.”

“They have not given any extra amount for MGNREGA scheme. The funds are lower than revised estimate. People are not getting their dues.”

“Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are deprived sections. And there has been a significant decrease in funds allocated.”

Samajwadi Party leader and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “In one year’s budget, there are lies and promises of ten years later. There is nothing in this budget for landless farmers and workers.”