Budget 2024: Opposition Voice ‘Extreme Worry’ Over Fiscal Deficit, Calls It ‘Useless’

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 in Parliament, Congress leader Manish Tewari expressed deep concern about the fiscal deficit, calling it “extremely worrying.” According to Tewari, the numbers presented by the Finance Minister show that there’s over 18 lakh crore unfunded in this year’s budget, stating that this amount is expected to increase.

Additionally, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the budget, labelling it as “useless” because, in his view, it doesn’t serve the people. He believes that a budget should focus on development for the benefit of everyone. Yadav criticized the BJP government for a decade of what he considers anti-people budgets and expressed the need for a positive government.

Additionally, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticized the budget as well, stating, “It was one of the shortest speeches on record in the Budget. Not very much came out of it. As usual, a lot of rhetorical language, very little concrete on implementation.”

Tharoor points out, “She talked about foreign investment without acknowledging that that investment has come down significantly. She talked about a number of things which are couched in vague language like ‘confidence’ and ‘hope’ and so on. But when it comes to hard figures, very few figures available.”

During the budget presentation in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted a significant positive transformation in the Indian economy over the last decade. She addressed the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the government’s dedication to inclusive development with the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas.”

Acknowledging the challenges posed by the once-in-a-century pandemic, Sitharaman noted the successful overcoming of these obstacles. She spoke about India’s continued efforts towards building a self-reliant nation (Atmanirbhar Bharat), committed to Panch Pran (five principles) and establishing strong foundations for the future, referred to as Amrit Kaal.

Also Read: Sitharaman Unveils 2024 Interim Budget: Checkout Highlights and Future Vision