Interim Budget Disappointing, Just Shows BJP’s Loyalty to Corporates: CPI MP Binoy Viswam

DOCUMENT

Press-Release

Dt. 1st February, 2024

The interim budget presented by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman today has been disappointing, said CPI Parliamentary Party Leader Binoy Viswam. One steady trend of the BJP government is to reduce corporate tax to benefit the rich and that has continued, while the common people are denied the same protection. Finance Minister’s speech seemed like an attempt to present a blooming picture of the economy before general elections while concealing the uncomfortable truths of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Finance Minister’s speech had no reference to unemployment at all shows how the government is out of touch with common people’s woes. The speech was full of self-praise with no scope for honest introspection.

In reality, unemployment, especially of the educated youth, is the biggest challenge facing our country. Food inflation has breached the 10% mark only last month adding to the miseries of commoners. While the government is making tall claims about empowering youth, women, farmer and poor, their own data suggest that government has spent less on what was provided for on education, health, agriculture and social sector, jeopardising the future of the country. Reacting to the interim budget, CPI MP Binoy Viswam said “Our demographic dividend has turned into a disaster due to the short-sightedness of the Modi regime and our future generation will suffer for their wrongdoings. BJP only knows to promote hatred in the society while making their wealthy friends wealthier. The impoverished and deprived masses of the country have nothing to gain from this electioneering exercise masquerading as budget presentation.”

CPI Parliamentary Party Office New Delhi