Union Budget 2024 | Speech more focused on posturing than action, says Congress

The opposition party's assertion came after Sitharaman in her budget speech announced that the government will launch three employment-linked schemes.

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Union Budget as being "more focused on posturing than action" and claimed that the "copy-paste government" has borrowed heavily from the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.

The opposition party also claimed that the government had "tacitly" admitted that "mass unemployment is a national crisis", and said the budget has "political compulsions written all over it".

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25, her 7th straight presentation, surpassing the record of former prime minister Morarji Desai. This was the first Budget during Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's third term in office.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "After ten years of denial— where neither the non-biological PM nor his party's Lok Sabha Elections Manifesto would even mention jobs— the Union Government seems to have finally come around to tacitly admitting that mass unemployment is a national crisis that requires urgent attention."

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"It's far too late, and as it turns out, far too little - the Budget speech is more focused on posturing than action," he said in a post on X.

Ramesh further claimed that Sitharaman has taken a leaf out of its 2024 Lok Sabha polls manifesto by announcing an internship programme but "in their trademark style", the scheme has been designed to "grab headlines with arbitrary targets" rather than a programmatic guarantee.

In the Union Budget of 2024-25, Sitharaman announced that the government will launch a scheme to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth in 500 top companies over five years.

"The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC's Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC's proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki," Ramesh said.

"However, in their trademark style, the scheme has been designed to grab headlines, with arbitrary targets (1 crore internships) rather than a programmatic guarantee for all diploma holders and graduates, like the Indian National Congress had envisioned," he said.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also took a swipe at the government over the Union Budget, saying he is glad that Finance Minister Sitharaman has read the Congress 2024 manifesto after the Lok Sabha poll results.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "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," the former finance minister said.

Chidambaram said he was also pleased to hear that the Finance Minister will abolish the Angel Tax.

The Congress has pleaded for its abolition for many years, he said.

Ramesh also said that it is highly disappointing that the Finance Minister’s announcement on data and statistics makes no mention of releasing funds for the decadal Population Census that was supposed to have taken place in 2021, but has still not been conducted.

In another post, Ramesh said the Congress had proposed a GST 2.0 -- a Good and Simple Tax -- to replace the "bureaucratic monstrosity that the non-biological Prime Minister’s Government set up".

"This is a widely popular demand, echoed by state governments, industry bodies, MSME organisations, and consumers. The Finance Minister has made no commitment to implement it, besides a general statement," he said.

"In a welcome move, however, the Finance Minister has heeded the Indian National Congress’s demand to abolish the Angel Tax that has disincentivised investments in India's start-ups," Ramesh said.

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said the political message of the budget was the tail wagging the dog. "It has political compulsions written all over it," he said.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the "copy paste government" had to take the support of Congress' 2024 Nyay Patra. The Modi government should thank the Congress for the internship idea, he said.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also slammed the budget, saying there are very many things missing with no mention of MGNREGS or serious measured to improve the income of the bottom 40 per cent of our population whose incomes have gone down.

"There was very little addressing the inequality in our country today, very little to give reassurances to all of us who are worried about the failures and limitations in this government's economic approach," Tharoor said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said it was a "take revenge" and "save the government" budget.

"UP defeated them (the BJP) in the Lok Sabha polls, the word UP was removed from the budget. Maharashtra defeated them, its name was struck off. They lost in Haryana and turned their back on its very existence. Congress did well in Rajasthan and Rajasthanis also got zero in the budget. There is a Congress government in Karnataka and Telangana, so they were treated as if they are not a part of India," he said.

Congress MPs from Punjab and Maha Vikas Aghadi MPs from Maharashtra protested, alleging that their states had been ignored and discriminated in the budget.

Union Budget 2024 LIVE | Making a record for any Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 7th consecutive Union Budget on July 23, 2024 under the Modi 3.0 government. This Budget brought tax relief for the middle class, while focusing on jobs through skilling, incentivising employers. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analysis only on Deccan Herald. Also follow us on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.