Bouquets, brickbats from poll-bound U.P.

CM praises Budget, Oppn. pours scorn

In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the principal combatants reacted to the Budget along expected lines with BJP leaders showering praise on the Central government and Opposition leaders saying it has little by way of relief for the common man long reeling from the pandemic.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed the Budget 2022-23 as “progressive” for farmers, women and the youth. “It has important provisions for MSP and also to achieve the target of doubling the income of farmers,” he said.

However, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP’s main challenger in the State, said the Budget has not addressed concerns arising out of reduced incomes, savings and job losses. “Now another Budget by the BJP has come to bite into the savings of the people,” he tweeted in Hindi.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati wondered how the Centre is free from worries of poverty, unemployment, inflation and suicides by farmers and patting its back. She said the Budget has been brought to “woo the public with new promises”, while the Centre has forgotten to implement its old announcements”.

Congress general secretary and the party’s campaign face in U.P. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said it was nothing but old “ jumlas ” (rhetoric). “No tax exemption has been given to the middle class. No relief from inflation, no relief to small industries. No employment for youth,” said Ms. Vadra.

‘Zero marks’

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said peasants would give “zero marks” to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “The Budget has been prepared keeping in mind the interests of the corporate friends of the government,” he said.

Senior BKU leader Dharmendra Malik said there was no focus on creating an environment for capital investment in agriculture. “Since Independence, farmers have not been ignored this much by any government.”