New Delhi: Calling the NDA government’s budget “anti-people”, “Sarkaar bachao”, “Kursi bachao”, “discriminatory” among others, the Opposition Wednesday tore into the Modi government in the Lok Sabha for ignoring all other states to “bribe” two political parties and “buy time” before the government imploded.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narender Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Participating in the Budget discussion, he said the budget looks “more fiction than finance” and has been planned by two individuals to keep another two (AP and Bihar) in good faith, neglecting the aspirations of 140 crore people.
“It’s a Kursi bachao budget….it’s crafted to bribe two political parties and buy time before the government implodes,” Banerjee said, referring to the TDP and the JD(U) whose support is critical to the Modi government in the Lok Sabha.
The TDP and the JD(U) with 16 and 12 MPs are the second and third biggest constituents of the BJP-led NDA. On Tuesday, the Modi government announced hefty financial packages for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in the Union Budget.
Banerjee’s tirade also led to a sharp exchange with Speaker Om Birla who objected to his mention of demonetisation. “Demonetisation happened in 2016 and we are now in 2024,” Birla said, drawing a strong response from Banerjee who said that the Speaker should be neutral.
“When somebody speaks on topics relevant 60 years ago or on Nehru, then you don’t say anything. But, when I speak of an issue that happened five years ago, you are asking me to speak on current issues. This biased approach should not be there. You can’t do this. When Biplab Deb was speaking, he was talking about Emergency that happened almost 50 years ago. At that time, you were silent. But now, when I talk of demonetisation, that is bothering you,” the three-time TMC MP said.
Taking on the Modi government for ignoring the interest of West Bengal, Banerjee said the Centre has withheld the funds of the MGNREGS and the PM Awas Yojana for the state.
“….PM Modi leads a creaky, shaky NDA coalition government, waiting to blow up. Rather than investing in the future of the country, it is unfortunate that the Union government is investing in Modi ji’s political survival at the expense of the nation’s well-being. Truth is, Modi ji as the PM is on borrowed time. You all are on borrowed time. Mark my words. Kursi ki peti bandh lijiye, mausam bigadne wala hai (Fasten your belts, the weather is set to be turbulent),” he said.
“‘Waqt Badal Gaya Hai’ (Times have changed). This change is more than a paradigm shift in leadership. It’s a clear rejection of authoritativeness. It’s a rejection of arrogance, divisive politics and empty promises. The message from the electorate of this country is loud and clear,” he said, referring to the reduced mandate to the Modi government.
Other opposition leaders including Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, and Samajwadi Party’s Birendra Singh were equally scathing.
Tharoor said that Tuesday’s budget was “underwhelming” and a “missed opportunity.” “The budget is in many ways an emblem of this government’s economic mismanagement and financial recklessness made all the more worse by its divisive policies,” he said, adding that for the Government of India, it seems some states are more equal than others.
“Their (BJP’s) priority chiefly revolves around their two regional allies, forgetting that there are 26 other states and 8 Union Territories, whose people have nothing to be happy about.”
Tharoor added that people of Andhra Pradesh have much less reasons to be happy at the supposed allocations. “Budget merely commits to arranging Rs 15,000 crore towards the development of Amaravati. This is not an allocation. It merely entails the facilitation of loans by the Centre from multilateral development organisations to the state. Instead of allocating a formal financial support from the Centre, this commitment will only add to Andhra’s formal debt burden,” he said.
The Congress MP added that the government’s inclination to bias is not limited to state allocations either. “If one looks at the specific concessions on basic customs duty given to three cancer drugs, it turns out that they were made by the same pharmaceutical company. Why would various other costly life saving drugs being imported into the country be overlooked for this exemption?” .
Taking a dig at the BJP for playing politics over religion, the Thiruvananthapuram MP alluded to Ayodhya temple and the Faizabad loss in the election. “Perhaps, a certain constituency in Uttar Pradesh should have taught the BJP never again to exploit a mandir for scoring political goals.”
DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran charged that the NDA government is being vicious against the people of Tamil Nadu. He said that except for Andhra Pradesh, the remaining southern states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana — have been completely ignored in the budget.
“…. we want you (Modi government) to help Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. But do not penalize other states. It does not reflect well on you,” he said.
Maran said that while PM Modi is supporting Andhra Pradesh out of compulsion, in 2014 when the TDP was a NDA ally, Andhra CM N. Chandrababu Nathe was treated so badly. “…Naidu could not get an appointment to meet the PM for discussing special category status for the state,” he said.
The former Union minister said that time has come for Modi to take some lessons from DMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM M.K.Stalin. “When our leader became the CM, he said, ‘I will work not only for the people who voted for me but also for those who voted against me. It is my duty.’ But today the PM is not working for those who voted for him but only for those who are supporting him,” he said.
The DMK leader claimed that the Centre has not given funds for projects in Tamil Nadu including the Chennai Metro, but has given Rs 26,000 crore to Bihar where 15 bridges collapsed in one week. “You (Modi) are rewarding the corrupt to be in power,” Maran said.
Samajwadi Party MP Birendra Singh pointed out that there was no mention of Uttar Pradesh even once in the Union Budget. Calling it a “Sarkar bachao” budget, Singh said that it looks like the people of UP are being made to pay for stopping the BJP from getting a majority in the Lok Sabha.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: ‘2 states got pakora & jalebi, rest have empty plates’ — Kharge slams budget, Sitharaman hits back