Congress: No talk of inequalities in ‘callous’ Budget

Slamming the Budget as “callous”, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday lamented that the finance minister did not mention the words “unemployment, poverty, inequality or equity” in her speech, wondering who are the people the government is concerned about.

Briefing the media, Chidambaram along with AICC spokesman Gourav Vallabh said the Budget has provided no relief to the middle class and the poor through cuts in direct or indirect taxes. “Who has benefited by this Budget? Certainly, not the poor. Not the youth looking desperately for jobs. . . Not those who have been laid off. Not the bulk of the taxpayer. Not the homemaker,” he said. Dismissing the Budget as “big on announcements and short on delivery”, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said there has been no hike in education and health allocations, which have instead been reduced.

Rahul Gandhi played on ‘Amrit Kaal’ to call the Budget as catering to “mitr call”, a reference to his now famous allegation of cronyism. “‘Mitr Kaal’ Budget has: No vision to create Jobs, No plan to tackle inflation, No intent to stem Inequality. . . Yet, PM doesn’t Care! This Budget proves that the government has no roadmap to build India’s future,” he tweeted.
Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays.

Discover stories of India’s leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025