CM Mamata calls Budget 'opportunistic', says it is anti-people

• Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led government saying the Budget was prepared eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
• “This Budget does not address India’s unemployment issue,” CM Mamata said
• She also called the budget 'anti-people' and that the slabs will not help

Calling the Union Budget 2023-24 “anti-people” and “totally opportunistic”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led government saying the Budget was prepared eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. CM Mamata was addressing a gathering where she made the claims.

Presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in Parliament on Wednesday, Sitharaman announced an increase in the income tax rebate limit from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh under the new tax regime. She added that the new tax regime will now be the default tax regime. This year, encouraging innovation in agriculture, technology, and tourism took center stage. The capital investment outlay has also been increased by 33 percent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which will account for 3.3 percent of the GDP.

Slamming the Budget, Mamata Banerjee said the changes in the income tax slabs will not help anyone. “This Budget does not address India’s unemployment issue,” CM Mamata said.

Meanwhile, political leaders across party lines welcomed the recent tax rebates announced in the Union Budget 2023-24, but some Opposition leaders criticized the Centre for failing to adequately address the issues of unemployment and inflation in the country.