The Opposition on Tuesday slammed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech as being less focused on uplifting the poor and tackling the country's unemployment crisis, and more about saving the government.
Taking a dig at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for increasing unemployment in India, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the Union Budget 2024 was a way to retain power as he mentioned special projects for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh - BJP's ally states.
The Finance Minister announced new airports, medical colleges, highways in Bihar, and Special Financial Support for Andhra Pradesh in Budget 2024.
Akhilesh Yadav, who as part of the Opposition-led INDIA bloc, put up a stellar show in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, said that it's "good" that the Centre announced special projects for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh because they want to "save the government".
"They have increased unemployment in the country in the past 10 years," the Samajwadi Party chief told reporters outside Parliament.
He also claimed that the projects in Uttar Pradesh that the BJP leaders proudly mentioned, and claimed were completed, indeed remained unfinished.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee echoed Akhilesh Yadav, calling the Union Budget as being 'kursi bachao' (save the seat).
"They have provided Budget boosts to whoever are NDA allies and they (the Centre) want to keep to their side," he said.
