The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dubbed the Union Budget presented by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as a “Sarkar Bachao-Mehangai Badhao” (Save the government-increase inflation) budget.
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the budget neglected farmers, women, youth, and employees while providing tax relief to corporate houses.
He argued that the budget failed to address critical issues like guaranteeing MSP to farmers, ending the ‘Agniveer’ scheme, reinstating the old pension system, and offering tax exemptions on essential items, including petrol and diesel.
Singh further alleged that the budget completely ignored Delhi, which contributes ₹2.32 lakh crore in taxes annually and receives nothing in return.
AAP MP from Punjab Malvinder Singh Kang expressed similar sentiments calling it an anti-Punjab budget. Despite Punjab’s substantial contribution to the Central free-ration scheme, the state has been neglected, he lamented.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Punjab MP here, Singh said, “People from different sections who had high hopes for the budget have been disappointed. The country’s food providers, farmers, sat on the streets for a year against the three black laws of the Centre. They are demanding the Minimum Support Price (MSP).”
He added, “Farmers were hoping that their MSP would be doubled, but there is no provision for the same in the budget. 750 farmers have died and are still agitating in different areas of the country including the Singhu border, Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The Modi Government has thrown out the farmers like a fly from milk. They do not even remember that farmers also live in the country,” he claimed.
“The working class of this country is worried about their old age. They demand that the old pension scheme be reinstated. In the new pension scheme, the central government invests the employees’ money in the share market. If the share market grows, the employees’ money will grow and if the market falls, the money will be lost,” the AAP leader said.
He said that PM Modi has disappointed the working class of the country, as mothers, sisters and the middle class were hoping that the government would give tax exemption on petrol-diesel and everyday items, which would give them relief from inflation, however, the government’s budget has not said anything on this either, he added.
Singh, speaking on Delhi, said the city gives Rs 2.32 lakh crores every year to the central government by combining income tax and GST.
Delhiites are giving this money to the Modi Government at the Centre, but in return, the Centre is not giving anything to the people of Delhi, he alleged.