Union Budget 2017: Misleading, hollow and useless, says Mamata

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Union Budget for 2017-18, describing it as “useless and misleading”. On her directive, her party MPs stayed away from Parliament on Wednesday when Union finance minister Arun Jaitley presented the Budget, as a mark of protest for Narendra Modi government’s demonetisation drive and the arrest of Trinamul Congress MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal.

In a series of tweets Ms Banerjee voiced her displeasure over the Budget. “Misleading. Full of jugglery of numbers and hollow words which mean nothing,” she wrote. Using even harsher words to demonstrate her criticism of the Budget, the chief minister went so far as to declare it as controversial. “It is clueless, useless, baseless, missionless and actionless. Heartless,” she added.

Ms Banerjee also voiced her dissatisfaction at the absence of any statistics which could reveal the volume of black money the Modi government succeeded in unearthing following its decision to scrap Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes. Ms Banerjee who had been in the forefront of the protest against demonetisation, did not let go this occasion to berate the Centre on this issue. “Taxpayers still have restrictions on withdrawals. Remove all restrictions immediately. And where are the figures for demonetisation?” Ms Banerjee asked. Continuing to attack the Modi government, Ms Banerjee said it had lost all credibility and had failed to come up with a roadmap for the country. Earlier she had also voiced her anguish over the Modi government’s decision to present the Budget despite senior Congress MP E. Ahamed’s sudden death. “Controversial Budget became more controversial,” Ms Banerjee quipped. About 10 days ago, Ms Banerjee had also flayed the Modi government’s decision to present the Budget on the day of Saraswati Puja. “Why don’t we celebrate Saraswati Puja in a big way instead of presenting the Union Budget on February 1. Do Saraswati bandana (prayer) and not your bandana,” she had said sarcastically in a statement.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra also criticised the Budget calling it anti-poor. “Direct Taxes down by 20k crores benefiting d rich; Indirect Taxes up by 60k crores burdening the common man. Modi mode of #AchheDin #Budget2017,” he tweeted.