Budget fails to address farmers' grievances, NDA govt is 'Robin Hood' in reverse: Opposition MPs

New Delhi: Opposition on Friday targeted the Narendra Modi government over its priorities in the Budget with MPs finding fault for its faulty approach in addressing farmers' troubles and trying to maintain fiscal deficit at the cost of social sector schemes while accusing it of focussing on economic favouritism and not economic justice.

Congress MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi said the Union Budget was "unilateral" in nature and “not federal” with states having no role in its formulation, while Trinamool Congress' Abhishek Banerjee claimed the government has mastered the art of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy elite, resembling the “reverse of Robin Hood”.

Opening the general discussion on Budget in Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the Budget has “neglected” the agriculture sector and has taken a “skewed approach”, which “favours a few big corporates”.

He also claimed that a large number of people are leaving the agriculture sector but the Medium, Small, Micro Enterprises (MSME) sector has not grown as expected under the NDA government to absorb the "surplus" people while claiming that 19,838 such enterprises were closed in 2024.

He alleged that the government could not sustain the pace maintained by the UPA government in the MSME sector.

“There is all-time high unemployment. As a result of this, sons and daughters of farmers of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh are going to greener pastures at the cost of their lives. They are being sent back to Amritsar in the most humiliating and insulting manner. The government has failed in providing two crore jobs every year (as promised),” he said.

Countering the attack, BJP MP from Jaipur Rural Rao Rajendra Singh claimed the Centre gave maximum benefits to the middle class compared to any other government of the past. "While foreign investors are willing to invest in India, the opposition members are doubting the country's economic potential," he said.

Earlier, Congress MPs protested against the absence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when the debate started. However, the situation normalised as she came to the House.

Participating in the debate, Banerjee said, the Budget was "nothing but a Maricha moment from the Ramayana" and similarly, the NDA has "crafted a shiny, dazzling budget promising prosperity, while hiding the economic catastrophe beneath".

"As we look into the policies of the NDA government, one cannot help but see a pattern. It resembles the tale of a Reverse Robin Hood. We know the story of Robin Hood – taking from the rich and giving to the poor. BJP has mastered the art of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy elite," he said.

For instance, he said the corporate loans are waived off while poor farmers struggle with debts and are left to suffer

"The government claims to have no money to increase subsidies on essential commodities, yet it slashes corporate tax rates, giving billionaires an even bigger slice of the pie. This is not economic justice. This is economic favouritism at its worst," he said.

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Union Budget 2025 | Nirmala Sitharaman, as Finance Minister, presented her record 8th Union Budget this time. While inflation has burnt a hole in the pockets of 'aam janata', the Modi govt gave income tax relief for those making up to Rs 12 lakh per year in salaried income. 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.