Interim Budget 2024: Reactions From The Political Parties

As the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today presented the interim budget in the parliament, there have been reactions from across the people and here are the opinions of the different political parties towards the budget.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the interim budget terming it “inclusive and innovative,” “This budget has a reflection of the young aspirations of a young India. Two important decisions were made within the Budget. It will empower all 4 pillars of Viksit Bharat- Yuva, Garib, Mahila and Kisan. This Budget gives the guarantee of making India a developed nation by 2047” he said.

How opposition parties reacted to the interim budget

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor while reacting to the interim budget pointed out that it was the shortest budget speech on record. He described it as a lot of “rhetorical speech” and “very little concrete on implementation.” Taking about the finance minister’s speech further, the Congress MP said: “She talked about foreign investment without acknowledging that that investment has come down significantly. She talked about several things which are couched in vague language like “confidence” and “hope” and so on. But when it comes to hard figures, very few figures are available.Terming it a disappointing speech, Mr Tharoor further said the budget did not have enough substance nor willingness to address the specific problems of the economy.

AAP MP Swati Maliwal reacted to the budget presentation saying that it is a “disappointing budget.” “Inflation and unemployment are at their peak in the country but there is nothing about it in the budget,” she said. Another AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said the budget is a “jumla” government. “PM Modi had said in 2014 that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year but not even one crore people got jobs. Today they have given a new “jumla” that they will give 55 lakh jobs.” “No step has been taken to reduce the inflation,” she further added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi reacting to the interim budget said that there is a huge difference between saying and doing. “This is what we have been seeing for the last 10 years… There is nothing in it for the poor, women and youth. This budget has poured cold water on the expectations of the general public…” Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

However, noting that the actual budget will come in July after the present interim budget, the National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah said that tourism will increase, industries will grow and the nation will progress. “We hope that people will benefit,” he said.

Reacting to the interim budget, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that it is a mere administrative exercise to ensure that the government of India has the requisite funds to carry on its normal business until the new parliament is constituted and a new government is formed. He also termed it as “obligatory self-congratulatory, self-praise phrases.”

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took to X (foremerly Twitter), saying that the budget is a “farewell budget of BJP” “If any budget is not for development and any development is not for the people then it is useless. The BJP government has created a shameful record by completing a decade of anti-people budgets, which will never be broken again because now is the time for a positive government to come,” the SP leader said.

DML leader and MP Dayanidhi Maran while reacting to the interim budget presentation said that the finance minister took a long time to hail praises with the delivery being zero. “The people of the country are already disappointed. Moreover, you realise that performance incentives are given to the bridge companies, and not going to the deserving ones,” Another DMK MP T Siva said that they are waiting for the next full Budget. “INDIA alliance will win and we will present the best budget after the net elections,” he said.

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP NK Premachandran pointed out that the finance minister was talking about the achievements of the last ten years and has given no vision. ” The unemployment position in the country is alarming and nothing is mentioned about this, It is only an eloquent speech made by the finance minister,” he said