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Updated 15:41 IST, February 1st 2025

'Band-Aid for Bullet Wounds': Rahul Gandhi Reacts to Union Budget 2025 Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

The Opposition has reacted to the Union Budget 2025 presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha today. Here's what they have to say...

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Opposition Reacts to Budget 2025 Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Opposition Reacts to Budget 2025 Presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman | Image: sansad tv

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth Budget in the Parliament today; while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the FM for her Budget presentation, the Opposition is unhappy with the budget. Here's what the leaders have to say…

'Band-Aid for Bullet Wounds': Rahul Gandhi Reacts to Budget 2025

Rahul Gandhi reacted to the Budget and said, “A band-aid for bullet wounds! Amid global uncertainty, solving our economic crisis demanded a paradigm shift. But this government is bankrupt of ideas.”

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The FM spoke of 4 engines: Agriculture, MSMEs, Investment, and Exports. So many engines that the Budget has been completely derailed." In another post, he said, "The BJP led by Arun Jaitley successfully sabotaged the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 that international companies wanted when Dr. Manmohan Singh was PM. Now to appease Mr. Trump, the FM announces that the Act will be amended."

Another Congress MP Manish Tewari said, “I fail to understand that was this a budget of govt of India or was this a budget of govt of Bihar ? Have you heard the name of another state than Bihar in the entire budgetary speech of the union finance minister?...”

‘There is Nothing for Middle Class’: TMC Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee said there was nothing for West Bengal in the Budget. "There is nothing for common people in the Budget. They have presented the Budget with the upcoming Bihar elections in mind. Last time as well, all announcements were for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Andhra Pradesh elections are over, Bihar polls are upcoming, so the state is in focus," Banerjee told reporters in the Parliament complex. "As far as West Bengal is concerned, it has not got anything in the last ten years, nor was there anything today. This is unfortunate," he said. 

"I will have to read the budget carefully, there has been a lot of confusion with the way the budget was presented. She (Nirmala Sitharaman) said there are going to be different rebates for different salary slabs. There is nothing for the middle class," he said.

DMK Calls Budget ‘Big Letdown for the Country’

DMK Lok Sabha MP Dayanidhi Maran called the Budget a "big letdown" for the country. "It is a big letdown for the country, especially for the middle class. The Finance Minister claims she is giving tax exemption up to Rs 12 lakh, but the very next line was there is 10 per cent tax slab for Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh income," he said. "Since Bihar elections are coming there are a lot of announcements for Bihar, again fooling the people of Bihar," he added. 

Opposition Stages Brief Walkout During Budget Speech

Opposition MPs on Saturday staged a brief walkout from the Lok Sabha during Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech, demanding a statement from the government on the Kumbh stampede. Soon after the Lok Sabha met at 11 am, opposition MPs raised slogans over the January 29 stampede, which claimed 30 lives.

Sitharaman started presenting the Budget amid sloganeering. After raising slogans for around 5 minutes, several opposition MPs walked out of the House. However, they returned to their seats within minutes as the minister continued reading the Budget speech.

Trinamool Congress MPs were not part of the walkout. The opposition members also sought a discussion on the stampede after Sitharaman concluded her speech. 

(Inputs from PTI)

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Published 13:01 IST, February 1st 2025