“Opposition lack credible intention, policy, leader”: BJP’s CR Kesavan on criticism against Budget

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 24 (ANI): Slamming the Congress for criticising the Union Budget presented by the Finance Minister on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan said that the opposition parties lack “credible intention, policy and leader.”

“This budget strongly signals that ‘New India’ is firmly on the move…As far as the crooked Congress and the unprincipled opposition is concerned, they have no credibility. They lack a credible intention, policy and leader,” Kesavan said, speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

Kesavan claimed that people have rejected the Congress party’s “unscrupulous politics of opportunism” and so they were defeated in the last three Lok Sabha elections.

“The people are well aware of their unscrupulous politics of opportunism. This is why they have been rejected in the last three Lok Sabha elections and individually couldn’t even get 100 seats… This is not only a progressive budget but a people-oriented budget…,” Kesavan said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her record seventh consecutive Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday during the Budget Session of Parliament.

FM Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. The priorities include Productivity and Resilience in Agriculture, Employment skills, and services.

She listed productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment and skilling, inclusive human resource development and social justice, manufacturing and services, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation, research and development, and next-generation reforms as nine priority areas for the government.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman introduced an increased standard deduction and revised tax rates for salaried individuals under the new tax regime. Sitharaman announced a significant set of income-tax reforms for the fiscal year 2024-25, aimed at simplifying tax laws, promoting compliance, and fostering economic growth.

Sitharaman, in her budget speech, proposed the creation of employment for about 4.1 crore youth over the next five years. Towards this, the finance minister has made an allocation of Rs 2 lakh crore.

Similarly, for skilling the citizens so as to generate job opportunities, she proposed Rs 1.48 crore. 20 lakh youth will be skilled over a five-year period. A total of 1,000 industrial training institutes will be upgraded.