The Opposition parties were not impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on Saturday, saying it lacked crucial information.
“This is perhaps the first time a budget speech is being delivered outside Parliament,” Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted.
Congress communication head Randeep Surjewala said Mr. Modi did not say anything about people who had died in bank queues..
He said Rs. 6,000 announced for pregnant women was already part of the National Food Security Act.
“Where are the figures of #DeMonetisation? How much of black money recovered? What did the nation gain after 50 days of excruciating pain?” Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “Modi Babu wanted 50 days to deliver promises. He badly failed ... Financial Emergency continues in the name of black money clean-up.”
Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told The Hindu , “There was no word on relief for sufferers like daily wagers. The slew of schemes announced were repackaged. Even the amount for pregnant women is already there in the Food Security Act.”
“We have been saying ban corporate funding of political parties and include party expenditure into ceiling on poll spending. As of now, the BJP can hire 1,000 helicopters with unaccounted-for money,” he said. “As for simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and Assemblies, we started with that but the system broke from dismissal of governments. Is he willing to dispense with Article 356?”
D. Raja of the CPI said Mr. Modi was quiet on black money in foreign banks and default on loans by corporates.
