"Political agenda": Congress MPs launch severe criticism of Union Budget 2025

New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): The Congress party has voiced its criticism of the Union Budget 2025 claiming that the budget lacked direction and was timed for electoral gains.
Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala on Saturday targeted the Centre over the Union Budget 2025 saying that there was a political agenda in today's total budget speech.
"In the budget when we talk about the states which she has given we have seen Bihar has given a lot of importance whereas we are also looking forward states like Telangana that it has to get a lot of importance. We will see what was the total depth of it (budget). I think again it has got some political thing there we can really see there is a political agenda in today's total budget speech," Chamala told ANI.
Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi called the Union Budget a "directionless budget."
Hitting out, Channi stated that the BJP are selling everything to their own "East India Compnay."
Channi said, "It was a directionless budget. There was nothing in the budget for any sector. Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Rajasthan, UP - states of these names were even not taken... They (BJP) are selling everything to their own 'East India Company'..."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "I think frankly the applause you heard from the BGP benches was for the middle-class tax cut. We look at the details and that may be a good thing. So if you have a salary you may be paying less tax. But the important question is what happens if we don't have a salary? Where is the income going to come from? For you to benefit from income tax relief, you actually need jobs. Unemployment was not mentioned by the Finance Minister... Ironic that the party that wants one nation, one election is actually using each election each state each year to give them more freebies. They may as well have multiple elections so they can get more applause from their allies."
Meanwhile, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran claimed that the Central government's budget is primarily designed to appeal to voters ahead of the Delhi elections.
He described the budget as "confusing," pointing out that while the Finance Minister initially announced that there would be no taxes for income up to 12 lakhs, she later revealed a 10% tax slab for income between 8 and 12 lakhs.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech today, proposed to establish a Board for makhana or foxnuts, a nutritious food, that is widely produced and consumed in Bihar.
"Makhna Board will be established in Bihar to improve production, processing, value addition and marketing of Makhana. The people engaged in these activities will be organized into FPOs. The board will provide handholding and training support to Makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant government schemes," Sitharaman said.
She also announced that Greenfield airports will be felicitated in Bihar in addition to the expansion of the capacity of the Patna Airport and a brownfield airport in Bihta.
Presenting the Union Budget, FM Sitharaman said, "Greenfield airports will be felicitated in Bihar to meet the future needs of the state. These will be in addition to the expansion of the capacity of Patna airport and a brownfield airport in Bihta."
She also highlighted the Western Kosi Canal ERM project in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar.
"Financial support will be provided for the Western Kosi Canal ERM project benefitting a large number of farmers cultivating over 50,000 hectares of land in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar," she said.
The Finance Minister also announced the establishment of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in Bihar to provide a strong fillip to food processing activities in the entire Eastern region. (ANI)