Abhishek Banerjee slams Union Budget, accuses Modi Government of 'reverse robinhood' policies

Feb 07, 2025

New Delhi [India], February 8 : Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee slammed the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, describing it as a "masterclass in half-truths" and equating the government's economic policies to a "reverse Robinhood," claiming that they take from the poor and give to the rich.
"Just like in the Ramayana, by the time people realize and recognize the deception, the economy has already been handed over to the Ravanas of crony capitalism. While the common man is left struggling to afford groceries, fuel, healthcare, travel, and even a simple movie night," Banerjee said while speaking on the Union Budget in the lowe house.
He described the budget presented by the NDA government as a "masterclass in half-truths, half accountability, half delivery of schemes, and half-hearted governance." "The government continues to sell dreams while delivering only fragments of reality. Infrastructure projects remain half-finished, welfare schemes reach only half of the beneficiaries, and their failed economic policies cater to half of the population, leaving the rest in uncertainty," he added.
Banerjee also said that the economic policies of the NDA government "resemble the tale of a reverse Robinhood." "We know the story of Robinhood--taking from the rich and giving to the poor. The BJP has mastered the art of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy elite," he stated.
Following the TMC MP's remarks, BJP MP Arun Govil dismissed Banerjee's speech as "full of dramatics."
"He spoke about the Ramayana and equated the budget to a golden deer. But it is not... I want to tell him that this place is not for dramatics. This is serious business. We talk about development and the issues of the country," Govil said in his remarks.