‘Kursi bachao budget’, From P Chidambaran to Mohan Yadav; who said what as FM Nirmala Sitharaman presents Budget 2024

Budget 2024: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget 2024. During her speech, the Finance Minister announced that the standard deduction to be increased to ₹75,000 in the new tax regime. The government also lowered its fiscal deficit target to 4.9 per cent of GDP for the financial year ending March 2025.

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What political leaders said on the Budget 2024:

Independent MP Pappu Yadav has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2024, particularly its job creation promises. Questioning the government’s track record, he asked, "They are saying that they will give 4 cr jobs, how many jobs have you given in last 10 years? What about the issue of migration from Bihar?... Nitish Kumar is a kingmaker but you didn't get the special package... Now you are saying that don't give us special state status but a package, why are you begging?... Talk about special state status, no central university has been announced. You don't need to withdraw support, just leave the cabinet, I think Nitish Kumar is a serious person."

Congress leader P Chidambaran took a jibe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sithrama and said that FM was reading out the Congress Manifesto after the election results. He said the adoption of ELI and Apprenticeship scheme were taken from the Congress Manifesto.

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Taking to X, he wrote, “I am glad to know that the Hon'ble FM has read the Congress Manifesto LS 2024 after the election results. I am happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive (ELI) outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto. I am also happy that she has introduced the Apprenticeship scheme along with an allowance to every apprentice spelt out on page 11 of the Congress Manifesto. I wish the FM had copied some other ideas in the Congress Manifesto. I shall shortly list the missed opportunities”

Fellow Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the internship scheme was edited by the BJP to ‘grab headlines’ with arbitrary targets — such as the promise of 1 crore internships. The Congress, he countered, had envisioned a programmatic guarantee for all diploma holders and graduates.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the Union Budget 2024 as "underwhelming" and criticised it for failing to address key issues affecting ordinary citizens. He also noted the absence of any mention of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and insufficient measures to improve the income of the common person.

"It is an underwhelming budget. I didn't hear anything about the key issues facing the common man. There is no mention of MNREGA, and insufficient mention of steps taken to improve the income of a common person. We have seen far too little from govt on addressing income disparity. On job creation, a token gesture was made. I welcome only one provision which is abolishing of tax on angel investors. I had recommended it to Arun Jaitley more than 5 years ago," Tharoor said.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee called Budget 2024 as "kursi bachao' budget."

On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav said, “The budget that was presented based on the resolution of Viksiit Bharat, I congratulate all for that. I would like to congratulate FM Nirmala Sitharaman whose intentions to control inflation are visible... Under the leadership of PM Modi India will create its new image. This budget will give the opportunity to Madhya Pradesh to go along with Viksit Bharat.”

Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said that the budget laid by FM Nirmala Sitharaman will be helpful in the formation of modern India. "It's a budget to fulfil the dream of people to make India develop by 2047 under the guidance of PM Modi..," he added.

Calling it a dream budget, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “It is a budget dream for all sections, especially for youth and women... Capital expenditure of more than ₹11 lakh crore has been allocated... Announcements for Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and North-East will give a boost to the economy of Eastern India...”