Chandigarh, July 25 (Harbans Singh)
Singh Raja Warring, President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and Member of Parliament from Ludhiana, today strongly criticized the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament. He described the budget as a “Sarkar Bachao Budget,” stating that it was designed to appease the various parties within the NDA coalition rather than addressing the pressing issues faced by the people of the nation.
Warring remarked, “This budget fails to tackle crucial issues such as inflation, the ongoing farmer crisis, and the struggles of the middle class. While it mentions the need for job creation, it lacks substantial measures to achieve this.”
He expressed his disappointment over the budget’s neglect of Punjab, saying, “As seen in previous budgets, the BJP government continues to ignore Punjab and work against the state’s interests. Prime Minister Modi, during his campaigns in Punjab, claimed to have ‘blood relations’ with the state, yet he has done nothing for Punjab in the past ten years.” Warring further added, “States like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were mentioned in the budget, but Punjab, a border state and the food bowl of the nation, a crucial contributor to the military, agriculture, and MSMEs, received no mention. Special infrastructure funds were allocated for Bihar due to the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections there, proving that any measure by the BJP is for political gain rather than the welfare of the nation.”
Accusing the Finance Minister of poorly copying the Congress manifesto, the PPCC Chief stated, “The BJP’s proposal to provide internships to one crore students is a diluted version of Congress’s plan to make the apprenticeship scheme universal for all students. It’s clear that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chose Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s guarantee over Modi’s fake and phoney promises.”
He also criticized the budget for taking useful elements, like the idea to abolish the Angel Tax, from the Congress’s Nyay Patra. “If only the Finance Minister had entirely copied the Nyay Patra, the whole nation, especially Punjab, would have benefitted, with legal guarantees of MSP given to the farmers of Punjab.”
MP Warring pointed out the budget’s failure to announce measures for increasing job opportunities for the youth and criticized the BJP for not fulfilling promises like one and a half times MSP and doubling farmers’ incomes, which have become mere urban legends. “The budget also completely neglects minority communities and women. The allocation for agriculture, health, education, and public welfare has been reduced as well.”
He concluded with a strong statement, “The absence of any mention regarding the census and the caste census in the budget marks the fifth budget without any census, which goes against the principles of democracy and the constitution. While the BJP might succeed in appeasing their NDA allies and saving the ‘Modi sarkar,’ this budget will ultimately lead to their downfall as the nation has grown weary of the BJP’s anti-people budgets over the past decade. The people of India, and particularly Punjab, deserve better. It’s time for a government that truly prioritizes the welfare of the nation over political gains.”
