'Kursi Bachao budget' punished middle-class, farmers and workers: Congress' Manickam Tagore

New Delhi [India], July 24 : Congress leader Manickam Tagore on Wednesday criticised the Union Budget that was presented yesterday on July 23 and said that the 'Kursi Bachao budget' punished middle-class people, farmers and workers and that it was against the federal principles of this country.
The Congress leader also said that the INDI alliance leaders decided to protest outside the Parliament to express their dissatisfaction and stop the discrimination towards some states governed by opposition party leaders.
Speaking to ANI on the INDIA bloc protest against Union Budget 2024 in Parliament, Tagore said, "This budget is discriminatory. We all know that it is a 'Kursi Bachao Budget'. This budget has only thought about how to save this government. It has just punished middle-class people, farmers and workers."
"It is against the federal principles of this country. Many states have been left without any kind of help from the Union government. That's why INDIA alliance leaders have decided to protest outside the Parliament to show our dissatisfaction and stop the discrimination," he said.

Congress MP K Suresh also spoke about the INDI alliance protest and said, "All the INDIA bloc leaders were present in the meeting yesterday. All of them have one opinion, which is to protest against the discrimination in the Union Budget 2024."
"That's why today at 10.30 AM, we had a demonstration in front of the Parliament. We will protest inside the house as well. We would highlight the discrimination in the states ruled by the opposition party. We are strongly criticising the budget proposals," said K Suresh.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari alleged that the federal structure was broken in the Union budget presented yesterday and that the states ruled by opposition parties were missing from the budget.
"This budget doesn't seem like a budget of the Government of India. The federal structure has been broken in this budget. The states that are ruled by opposition parties were missing from the budget. This is not a government budget but a 'Sarkar Bachaao Budget'. It is just to please everyone," Tiwari told ANI.

Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also termed the budget as a 'Sarkar Bachao Budget' and said that nothing was done for the farmers despite promises made to them.
" I had said this yesterday as well, that this is a 'sarkar bachao budget'. It's as if no one else exists. They talk about floods but they did nothing for the floods in Punjab. There is nothing for the farmers, despite promises made to them," she said.
Adding further, Badal said, "Punjab has not been paid attention to for the last 6 budgets. Before the AAP government in Punjab, Congress was in power and had promised to waive farmer loans, but nothing was done. SAD is the only party raising the voice of farmers."
Meanwhile, after the presentation of the Union Budget on Tuesday the joint opposition led a protest outside parliament, alleging that the budget was discriminatory and lacked vision.
"Opposition virodhi kursi bachao Budget murda baad" slogans were raised by the INDIA bloc leaders as they protested holding placards in the Parliament building, claiming that the Budget is "discriminatory" in nature.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party General Secretary KC Venugopal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and TMC MP Dola Sen were seen participating in the protest.