Budget 2013: Oppn give a thumbs down, calls it 'jugglery'

The Opposition and some parties supporting the government today slammed the general budget as "jugglery" of numbers and said it had forgotten the 'aam admi', who was already burdened by price rise, and had nothing to offer to the farmers.

Expressing disappointment with the budget proposals, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said "it is unimaginative, dull and boring".

"There is nothing for the women, youth and poor" in this budget and neither is anything there for boosting the agri sector or for controlling prices," she said.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the budget is "verbose" and "extremely low on substance" and has a bit of "jugglery" to cut down on expenditure.

"Having pushed the economy in a distress situation, he comes out with a budget of helplessness. In the first nine years, UPA government pushed the economy in distress and then a helpless Finance Minister comes out with a budget which has very little elbow space," he said.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav termed the budget as "anti-poor" and "anti-farmer" and vowed to oppose it in Parliament. "This budget is only for 10 per cent population of the country. What kind of budget is this which ignores 65 per cent people who are engaged in farming," he said.

BSP leader Mayawati, whose party has extended support to the UPA, criticised the budget saying it was drafted to "confuse" the common man and there was nothing new in it. She said all the announcements seem lofty and "in the air".

"There is nothing new in this budget and there nothing for farmers, employees and the middle class," she said, adding that the policies of the central government are not in the interest of the common man and are "anti-people".

BJP leader Mukhthar Abbas Naqvi said, "the nine-year-old non-performing government has come out with a box of promises. Its a disappointment and confusing budget."

... contd.

ALSO READ

Gold price ticks lower as equities gain, ETFs plunge

BSE Sensex soars 87 points in early trade

Costs centre stage for HSBC, French bank results

Indian rupee down 18 paise US against dollar in early trade