NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the Union Budget, labeling it the "most middle-class friendly budget in the history of India" and claiming it has spread joy among all families. Speaking at a rally in Delhi ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for February 5, PM Modi highlighted the substantial relief extended to individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh, asserting that such advantages have never been bestowed since India gained independence.
"Since the budget announcement yesterday, the entire middle class has been expressing that this is the most middle-class friendly budget ever in India. Every household in the country is filled with happiness and enthusiasm. Our government has completely eliminated income tax for those earning up to Rs 12 lakh. Since independence, no one with an income of Rs 12 lakh a year has received such considerable tax relief," the Prime Minister stated.
"For an individual with a salary of Rs 12 lakh during Jawaharlal Nehru’s era, a quarter would have been paid as tax. If Indira Gandhi’s government were in power today, Rs 10 lakh of your Rs 12 lakh would have gone to the government as tax. Even just 10-12 years ago, under the Congress regime, if you earned Rs 12 lakh, you would have paid Rs 2,60,000 as tax. But following yesterday’s BJP government budget, those earning Rs 12 lakh will not owe a single rupee in tax," PM Modi emphasized.
In a bid to criticize the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, PM Modi accused it of making empty promises and engaging in corruption, which he alleged has resulted in factory closures in the capital. He warned that those accountable for "robbing the people" would face consequences.
"On one hand, we have ‘AAP-da’, representing false promises, and on the other, ‘Modi’s assurances’," he remarked, taking a jab at the ruling party.
PM Modi also connected the welfare measures of the Budget to his broader governance progress, indicating that his government at the Center has prioritized four key pillars: the poor, farmers, youth, and women. He asserted that the Budget mirrors his commitment to fulfilling these promises.
Expressing confidence in the BJP’s prospects, PM Modi stated that Delhi has endured 11 years of AAP governance and is now in search of a "double-engine government" that emphasizes development. He assured that under a BJP-led administration, no slums would be demolished, nor would any welfare schemes be terminated.
"You can write it down: the BJP government will take shape in Delhi on February 8, and by March 8, on International Women’s Day, women will commence receiving Rs 2,500," he stated, centering on the BJP’s welfare commitments, particularly for senior citizens and women.
PM Modi also made efforts to connect with the large Purvanchali community in Delhi, alluding to his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, and reaffirming the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s dedication to Bihar’s development through various Budget recommendations.
PM Modi reiterated that his administration makes decisions aligned with public aspirations. He showcased the Budget’s concentration on job-generating sectors such as tourism and manufacturing, underlining that these initiatives would directly aid the youth.
Taking a shot at AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi said, "Those residing in ‘sheesh mahal’ (glass palaces) cannot comprehend the lives of poor families in jhuggis or middle-class families in 2BHK flats." He accused the AAP of corruption across all sectors, including healthcare, claiming that even AAP leaders, including current MLAs who were denied tickets for the elections, were abandoning the party due to escalating public dissatisfaction.
"Feeling anxious, the AAP is making false declarations every day," he concluded.
