New Delhi: Opposition parties on Monday mounted a sharp attack on the Union Budget, accusing the government of ignoring the concerns of the common people and framing policies that favour only a privileged few, while leaving out the youth, farmers, workers and small traders.
Congress MP Imran Masood strongly criticised the budget, stating that it has nothing to offer to large sections of society.
Speaking to IANS, Masood said, “There is nothing in the budget. There is nothing for the youth, nothing for farmers, nothing for small entrepreneurs, and nothing for small traders. Not a single word has been mentioned for them.”
Calling it a budget that would burden the masses, he said it would go down as one of the worst budgets in history. “This is a budget for the rich, for the wealthy and for building large data centres,” he said.
Masood further accused the government of ignoring employment generation, saying young people have been left without hope. “If people don’t have money, how will they sit in bullet trains? The education budget has been cut and scholarships have been reduced,” he added.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather also slammed the Union Budget and questioned the government’s claim of Atmanirbhar Bharat. She claimed that the rights of workers and farmers have been steadily eroded under the current regime.
“Atmanirbhar Bharat can happen only when the people of the country are happy,” Mather said. “They have taken away the right to employment guaranteed under MGNREGA, which was brought by the UPA government. They have snatched the rights of farmers. How can they even talk about Atmanirbhar Bharat when the right to employment itself has been taken away?”
She asserted that without restoring employment security, protecting farmers’ rights and ensuring dignity of labour, such slogans would remain hollow.
Mather said the Opposition parties would continue to raise their voice against what she termed anti-people policies and demand accountability from the government.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav also criticised the Union Budget, alleging that it has been framed for the benefit of a select few and not the common people.
“This budget is not for the common people. It is meant only for a few special individuals,” he said.
Targeting the government’s Viksit Bharat narrative, Yadav questioned whether the claims reflect ground reality. “Has anyone gone to villages and actually seen a developed India?” he asked.
Referring to the Jal Jeevan Mission, he alleged large-scale mismanagement and corruption in its implementation. claiming that despite massive spending, conditions in rural areas remain unchanged. “People sitting in Delhi have their eyes closed. They do not know what is happening in villages,” he said, adding that development slogans mean little unless benefits reach the grassroots.
(IANS)
