Case of 'wrong diagnosis and prescription', says Cong

New Delhi : The Congress on Monday strongly criticised the Union Budget, saying Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech was oblivious to the declining GDP and the budget was a case of "wrong diagnosis and prescription."

"The FM could have been brave, but chose to be timid. The nation needed a bold budget and more direct transfers to the weaker sections to revive demand, restart job creation," senior Congress leader and Deputy leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma tweeted. The budget is 'disappointing' and without a roadmap for accelerating growth and revival of consumer demand, he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also alleged that the budget was a "national monetisation plan - short hand for National Sell out" and there was "no central focus in Budget". "FM's Talkthorn (sic) oblivious that growth rate of GDP is in a record 37th month decline. Worst Crisis since 1991. Except for a National Monetisation Plan - short hand for National Sell out, no Central Focus in Budget. Bottom line-Will not grow economy but sell the family silver," he tweeted. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also took a dig at the Centre over the budget, saying "this BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, 'I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder'."

Another Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said the budget has left the middle class bruised and wounded by not changing tax slabs, not increasing deductions, not making new deduction slots like home loans, not bringing fuel under GST, not sharing Rs 19 lakh crore gain from fuel taxes, not reducing GST rates.

"After promising a century, FM is out hit wicket at Zero !! Instead of calling it as 'budget of the century' it will be remembered as 'blunder of the century' by BJP Govt #Budget2021," he tweeted. "Budget case of 'wrong diagnosis and wrong prescription' by BJP government which instead of healing, reforming and rejuvenating has chosen to adopt damaging, disappointing and destroying approach to push the economy further into vortex of recession," he tweeted.

In a tweet on Monday soon after the Budget presentation, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill said, "BJP Government reading out laundry list of hollow reforms in agri sector is case of failed student reading his/her forged report card; Budget failed to increase MSP, no increase in meagre allocation under Kisan Samman Yojna, no loan waiver- Farmer continues to get stabbed by Kisan Virodhi BJP.

"One Nation-One Ration Card remains a catchy slogan with sketchy future as Budget fails to provide 'Ration' to migrant labourers impacted by pandemic-There should have been announcement for direct cash transfer with employment support package-as usual BJP Govt left labour stranded."

He further tweeted: "As FM set a target of more than Rs1.5 lakh crore from disinvestment-Budget in 2020, Govt set a target of raising Rs 2.10 Lac Cr from disinvestment but only achieved Rs 1,949 9 crore. Rather than fixing unachievable targets and auctioning all PSUs, Government should focus on preserving and strengthening profitable PSUs," he said.