While the Union budget 2023 may have come as a relief to tax payers as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday tweaked the slabs to announce that no tax would be levied on annual income of up to Rs 7 lakh under the new tax regime, the opposition does not seem to be too impressed.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said while there are some good things in the budget, there was no mention of MNREGA, poor rural labour, employment and inflation. Some fundamental questions remained to be answered, he claimed.
His party colleague Karti Chidambaram said he is a believer in a low tax regime, and so “any tax cuts are welcome because giving more money into the hands of the people is the best way to boost the economy.”
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi was very critical of the budget as he said there was no solution to price-rise, inflation, or unemployment. He claimed that the poor only got "words and rhetoric." "Budget benefits only the big industrialists. Tax rebate up to Rs 7 lakh is insignificant considering the inflation and price rise; it is like drop in ocean for middle class," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
Congress leader K Suresh called it a "pro-corporate budget."All interests of Adani are fulfilled in this budget, but the common man has been ignored. This budget is for Adani, Ambani, Gujarat," he claimed.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the budget for 2023-24 has given "nirasha" (despair) instead of "asha" (hope) to people of the country. "The BJP is completing a decade of its budgets, but when it did not give anything to the public earlier, what will it give now?" Yadav tweeted in Hindi. "The BJP's budget further increases inflation and unemployment. It does not give 'asha' but 'nirasha' to farmers, labourers, youth, women, professionals and the business class. This budget is for the benefit of a few rich people," he added.
SP MP Dimple Yadav alleged hat the budget was presented keeping elections in mind. "While some relaxations given to the middle class, government hasn't said anything about MSP for farmers, employment and youth. Railways also ignored in this budget," she said, and called it a "disappointing budget."
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said the budget is similar to the budgets in previous years. "Taxes are increased; money not being spent on welfare schemes and subsidies. Taxes are being collected for some crony capitalists and big businessmen. Public should benefit from taxes but it's breaking their back,” she said.
"There is nothing in the budget. It is like ‘Sapno Ka Saudagar’ - nothing comes true when you wake up after a dream. Also, nothing was mentioned about how to control inflation and unemployment," JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan said.
