Budget 2024: Glad FM read Congress manifesto after election results, says Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the Union Budget, saying he was "glad" that finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman read the Congress 2024 manifesto after the Lok Sabha poll results.

Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25, her seventh straight presentation surpassing the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. This was the first Budget during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led government's third term in office.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "I am glad to know that the Hon'ble FM has read the Congress Manifesto LS 2024 after the election results. I am happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive (ELI) outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto."

"I am also happy that she has introduced the Apprenticeship scheme along with an allowance to every apprentice spelt out on page 11 of the Congress Manifesto. I wish the FM had copied some other ideas in the Congress Manifesto. I shall shortly list the missed opportunities," the former finance minister said.

Chidambaram said he was also pleased to hear that the finance minister will abolish the angel tax.

The Congress has pleaded for its abolition for many years and most recently in the Congress manifesto on page 31, he said.