Congress blasts budget, says promises broken

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The Congress on Friday said the Union Budget 2019-20 was "nothing new" and the government had walked back on the promises made to the people.

"This is old wine in new bottle. They have walked back on all their old promises. People's misery is only going to increase. There is nothing new in this budget," Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told the media in Parliament.

The comments came after the Budget was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Motilal Vora said: "There is nothing for the common man in the Budget."

Slamming the government, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Budget was lacklusture and uninspiring. 

"An utterly lacklustre, nondescript, uninspiring and directionless Budget 2019. Zero on economic revival. Zero on rural growth. Zero on job creation. Zero on urban rejuvenation. Can a mundane jugglery of 'acronyms' pass off for vision for a 'New India'?" Surjewala asked.

In another tweet, he said: "Villages, farmers and poor are on the edge. Will a few words solve the agrarian crisis? No promise to fulfil minimum support price (MSP), no way to fight famine-drought, no steps to strengthen rural economy. An additional load of Rs 2 on diesel." 

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia dubbed the budget a hogwash and said the government was pursuing its illusion of doubling farmers' income. 

"Zero Budget Farming means farming without using credit and spending money on inputs. Research shows that it has been practised in South India by land owning relatively affluent farmers. This is no solution for our mostly debt ridden, landless marginal and small farmers," he said. 

Scindia slammed the government for putting an additional cess of Rs 1 on petrol and diesel.

"When the prices of petrol and diesel are falling across the world, instead of giving the benefit to the people the government has announced to include a Rs 1 of excise and cess tax. This condemnable step is equivalent to kicking on the belly of the common and poor person."