Opposition Launches Scathing Attack on Modi Government Over Inequality and Budget Priorities
In a heated session in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Opposition, led by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC), launched a fierce critique of the Narendra Modi government. The discussion centered on the Union Budget, with MPs highlighting concerns over escalating inequality, widespread job distress, the erosion of states' financial autonomy, and alleged biases in the implementation of central schemes.
Congress MP Venugopal Highlights Extreme Economic Disparities
Congress MP K C Venugopal spearheaded the attack, building his arguments on issues previously raised by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. He asserted that the current Budget fails to serve as a blueprint for an inclusive and confident India. Instead, he described it as a meticulously crafted presentation designed to conceal underlying distress, disproportionately reward the privileged, and overlook the struggles of ordinary citizens.
Venugopal presented stark statistics to underscore the severity of economic inequality. He revealed that the top 10% of the population controls nearly 58% of India's total GDP, while the bottom half survives on a mere 15%. Further emphasizing the plight of the poor, he noted that approximately 34% of Indians live on less than Rs 100 per day, attributing this dire situation to the current administration.
On the employment front, he flagged alarming trends: youth unemployment has surged to 15%, and regular salaried employment has slightly declined from 22.8% to 22.7%. The scenario is particularly grim for women, with only 10.5% of rural women employed in the service sector and one in four urban women unable to find work despite seeking employment.
Accusations of Dismantling Rights and Promoting Fear
Drawing a sharp contrast with the previous UPA government, Venugopal accused the Modi administration of systematically dismantling key citizen rights. He listed initiatives like the Right to Work, Right to Employment, Right to Food, Right to Education, and Right to Information as hallmarks of the UPA era, claiming these have been undermined through actions such as scrapping MGNREGA, diluting the RTI Act, cutting food security measures, and violating forest rights.
He warned that no economy can achieve sustainable growth in an environment of fear and hatred, alleging that state-sponsored terror under the guise of 'bulldozer raj' has become a new political tool to intimidate citizens.
TMC and NC MPs Decry Regional Neglect and Fiscal Injustice
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee joined the criticism, dismissing the Budget speech as 'full of sound and fury' but lacking substantive delivery. He accused the central government of unfairly denying West Bengal its due fiscal allocations in schemes like MGNREGA and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan based on irrational grounds. Banerjee lamented that despite repeated letters from the West Bengal Chief Minister to the Prime Minister, there has been no response, leading to a perception that Bengal and its people are being deliberately ignored.
National Conference (NC) MP Aga Ruhulla Mehdi raised concerns about Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out that only Rs 100 crore has been allocated for capital expenditure in the region. He questioned how much progress could be made with such limited funding, especially when Rs 10,000 crore is earmarked for police while sectors like tourism, MSMEs, and technology are neglected. Mehdi also warned that lower tariffs on American fruits could severely hurt Kashmir's apple growers, describing it as a conspiracy to weaken the local horticulture industry, which is vital to the region's economy.
BJP's Counterattack and Defense of Government Policies
In response, BJP MP Anurag Thakur launched a vigorous defense, directing a sharp attack at Rahul Gandhi. He accused Gandhi of being filled with hatred due to electoral losses, alleging that Gandhi harbors animosity toward parliamentary rules, the Speaker, constitutional institutions, the Prime Minister, and even India itself. Thakur mocked Congress's poor electoral record under Gandhi's leadership, predicting they would soon reach a 'century of losses.'
Countering Gandhi's criticism of trade deals, Thakur highlighted the government's achievements in banking sector recovery, noting that Rs 10 lakh crore in bad loans were recovered, leading to healthier bank balance sheets. He accused the Congress of giving a 'free-pass to Chinese products' and demoting MSMEs, while praising Modi's efforts to promote and support small and medium enterprises.
Support from NDA Allies
Amid the criticism, LJP (RV) MP Arun Bharti expressed strong support for the Budget, applauding the NDA's policies for transforming Bihar from a once-dismissed 'Bimaru' state into a source of pride for new India. This endorsement highlighted the polarized views within Parliament regarding the government's economic direction and regional development strategies.
