Budget 2023: "Habit of complaining, has been wrong 9 times..." Rajeev Chandrasekhar counters opposition parties

New Delhi [India], February 1 : Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed the opposition for criticizing the Union Budget presented on Wednesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and said the opposition has been wrong nine times in nine years of the Modi government while the country is marching ahead with or without opposition.
Speaking to ANI, Chandrasekhar said, "I think the opposition in India has the habit of complaining when there is nothing to complain about. When the entire country is looking forward to growing and creating a new future, they (opposition) have been reduced to a group of people who constantly complain and look for problems. They do not celebrate the progress of India."
"The opposition has been wrong nine times in nine years of Modi government while the country is marching ahead with or without opposition," he added.
He said India is marching as the fastest-growing economy and the government is developing world-class infrastructure.
"I thank Finance Minister and PM for having navigated India during difficult times of the Covid pandemic and even when many countries of the world are still struggling with their economies, the Indian economy is the fastest-growing economy in the world," the Minister noted.
"We are making the highest investment in the infrastructure. Not just we are providing world-class infrastructure to the middle class but also giving tax rebates. This shows the strength of our economy, thanks to the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last nine years," Chandrasekhar said.
The Minister said PM Modi strengthened the economy in such a way that despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine-Russia war, India continues to grow.
Hailing the Union Budget 2023-24, Chandrasekhar said, "Finance Minister today unveiled a budget that is truly a budget for 'Amrit Kaal'. It is Rs 45 lakh crore of spending of which Rs 13.3 lakh crore investment into infrastructure that is bound to take India into 'Amrit Kaal as a modern infrastructure-ready nation. t is truly a budget of new India. Along with crores of fellow citizens, I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the budget."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the Budget 2023 was prepared keeping an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections adding that it has nothing to offer for the poor people of the country.
He further said that the ruling government has failed to control inflation and the budget is not for common people.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress President said that no steps have been taken for jobs, to fill government vacancies and MNREGA.
"The budget was presented by the Modi government keeping in view the upcoming Assembly polls in three-four states. This was an election speech and they had prepared that 15 days ago. There is nothing in the budget for poor people and to control inflation. No steps for jobs, to fill government vacancies and MNREGA," said Kharge on Union Budget 2023.
Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday took a veiled jibe at the Centre for its Union Budget presented in the Parliament and said that it should be for the country instead of being for a party.
Taking to Twitter, Mayawati said that the presented budget has been very much similar to the ones presented in the last nine years with huge promises and announcements being showered on the common citizens.
"All the promises, announcements, claims and expectations showered by the Centre in its budget during the last nine years became meaningless [bemani] when the middle-class section of India became lower middle class due to inflation, poverty, and unemployment," she said mentioning that the Union Budget 2023 has not been any different.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal launched an attack on the Centre over the Union Budget and said the government is not addressing the serious economic conditions in the country including the common man's plight.
While talking to ANI, the Congress General Secretary said, "The government is not addressing the serious concerns of the country's economic condition and the common man's plight. This is my first reaction."
Stating that people are in a distressed mood in the country, he said, "The actual problem is whether the Budget is addressing the current economic issues including price rise, and unemployment. There is no income for the people. How can they benefit by increasing the tax limit?"
Notably, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced an increase in the income tax rebate limit from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh stating that the new tax regime will now be the default tax regime.
The Finance Minister also proposed to change the tax structure in this regime by reducing the number of tax slabs to 5 and increasing the tax exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh.
On personal income tax, the FM announced that "Tax for income of Rs 0-Rs 3 lakh is nil, for income above Rs 3 lakh and up to Rs 5 lakh will be taxed at 5 per cent, for income of above Rs 6 lakh and up to Rs 9 lakh will be taxed at 10 per cent and for income above Rs 12 lakh and up to Rs 15 lakh to be taxed at 20 per cent and above 15 lakhs at Rs 30 per cent."