Budget 2022: Opposition flays Union Budget, terms it directionless – Here’s who said what

Opposition leaders and chief ministers of non BJP-ruled states have flayed the Union Budget 2022 terming it ‘zero’, ‘golmaal’ and ‘directionless’. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the budget failed to give relief to the middle class, farmers and the poor, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren described the Budget 2022 as another ‘Mann ki Baat’.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government had delivered a ‘zero-sum budget’. “There is despair all around our country, our youth have no future and once again the Modi govt’s budget completely ignores this painful reality. #Budget2022,” Gandhi said in a post on Instagram. He wrote on Twitter, “M0di G0vernment’s Zer0 Sum Budget! Nothing for – Salaried class, Middle class, the poor and deprived Youth, Farmers and MSMEs.”

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren slammed the Union Budget, saying that it has dealt a blow to the federal financial structure. Soren said that the Budget is just like another ‘Mann ki Baat’ by the Centre and alleged that the BJP has become a company of Rs 5000 crore by selling companies and properties of the country. “This budget deals a hard blow to the federal financial structure. Neither has it assuaged the concerns of any section of people nor does it provide relief. The BJP at the Centre has transformed itself into a company of thousands of crore of rupees by sale of government assets to industrialists,” he tweeted.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being ‘short-sighted’ over setting up an arbitration centre for dispute resolution in Hyderabad. Rao also described the Union Budget as a ‘golmaal budget’ that disappointed farmers, workers and common people. “I appeal to the people of India, after seeing the budget of today, I am totally upset. The false propaganda which has been propagated through the dais of the parliament is totally wrong. The Government of India has no respect for the farmers, no respect for the poor,” he told reporters.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the Budget while calling it a ‘Pegasus spin budget’. “Budget has zero for common people, who are getting crushed by unemployment and inflation. Government is lost in big words signifying nothing – A Pegasus spin budget,” she said in a Tweet.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the Union Budget was directionless and had no provision or relief for farmers. Baghel said the budget did not have any provision for completing items mentioned in the previous budgets, and cited the example of the Centre’s plan to build 100 smart cities, a project that is still incomplete. “Overall it is a directionless budget that has nothing for youth, unemployed, women and farmers,” said Baghel.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin dubbed the Union Budget 2022 as one that has forgotten people’s welfare. He accused the Centre of ‘big brother attitude’ for ignoring the demand of state governments. Stalin said there is no change in personal income tax slabs, no welfare schemes for farmers who died protesting the three farm laws, no flood relief allocation to the state and there is also no funding for Tamil Nadu government’s project proposals.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the Union Budget 2022-23 as ‘disappointing’. “People had high expectations from the Budget during the corona period. The Budget has disappointed the people. There is nothing in the Budget for the general public. Nothing to reduce price rise,” Kejriwal said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed the Centre for not including its proposal for building a semi-high speed railway line in the Budget for which his government has already initiated steps for acquiring land. “The Union Budget will not aid in taking forward the development of the State. The budget has also failed to address the urgent needs that the state has always raised,” the Chief Minister said. He said that the proposed semi-high speed K-Rail project is also not mentioned in the budget.

Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said the Union Budget was the most capitalist budget ever presented with nothing for the poor and farmers. “This is the most capitalist budget. There is not a word about the poor, the tax-paying middle class and the agriculturists. I am shocked that they (ruling party) don’t care,” said Chidambaram.

Delhi’s Deputy chief minister as well as finance Manish Sisodia said the Budget was ‘extremely negative’ for the national capital. “It is the most anti-farmer budget in the history of India and calling it a disappointment is an understatement. What the Centre has done to our farmers is nothing less than stealing from the plate of the hungry,” he said.

Criticising the budget, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said, “The budget is very depressing. During the coronavirus pandemic, people of the country paid Rs 1.40 lakh crore as GST but, unfortunately, the schemes that were to be implemented with regard to taxes do not find a place in the budget.”

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said the Union Budget has been brought to ‘woo the public with new promises’ and alleged that the Centre has forgotten to implement its old announcements. “The Union Budget presented in the Parliament today has been brought to woo the public with new promises, while the implementation of the past promises and old announcements have been forgotten. How appropriate is it? Why is the Centre free from worries of poverty, unemployment, inflation and suicides by farmers,” she said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury questioned the government on the purpose of the Union Budget and asked why the wealthy have not been taxed further. “Budget for whom? The richest 10% Indians owns 75% of the country’s wealth. Bottom 60% own less than 5%. Why are those who amassed super profits during the pandemic, while joblessness, poverty & hunger have grown, not being taxed more?” asked Yechury.

National Conference (NC) spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar termed the budget a ‘blend of sophistry and wordplay’. He alleged that stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir were ‘excluded and ignored’ in the budget. “The budget has failed to tackle the problems of unemployment, and inflation…This budget will only increase inequality and leave the largest section of our population including unemployed youth, artisans, agriculturalists, horticulturalists, marginal traders, tourism players, and transporters vulnerable than ever,” he said.