Directionless, anti-people, no vision, just a political mission’, Mamata Banerjee furious over Modi government’s budget

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday termed the Union Budget 2024-25 as “politically biased and anti-poor” and criticised the Centre for “depriving” the state. The chief minister wondered what mistake West Bengal has done that it has been “deprived” by the Centre. In a statement regarding the budget, Mamata said that it is directionless, anti-people, no vision, just a political mission. I don’t see any light, there is darkness. Mamata said that they make big claims and promises during elections. But after getting votes, they forget Darjeeling, Kalimpong. She said that the people of the Darjeeling hills should remember this. Let Sikkim get things, we have no objection but it is not right to deprive Darjeeling. This budget is anti-people, anti-poor and not for the common people.’ This is a budget to please one party. It is a budget full of political bias. TMC MP Saugata Roy said, “I call it a tampered budget…The major problems – unemployment at 9.2% and inflation at 5% – have not been addressed at all. States have not been given their fair share. Only Andhra Pradesh and Bihar benefited. It is not a good budget at all. They have invested everything in infrastructure, which will take a long time to take shape. So, it is not a wise budget.” Shiv Sena (UTC) MP Sanjay Raut said, “What did the common man, farmers, students get from the budget in the last ten years?…Earlier, the budget was made for only one state, Gujarat, now two more states have been added to it…For the first time, I have seen that the budget has been made not for the welfare of the country but to save the government.” Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget, saying it was aimed at pleasing BJP allies and “cronies”. The Congress leader described the document as a “save kursi” budget and alleged that it was copied from the Congress party’s Lok Sabha election manifesto.