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HomeIndiaOpposition passes judgment even before going through the Budget, says Sushil Modi

Opposition passes judgment even before going through the Budget, says Sushil Modi

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Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) There are leaders who react to the Budget even before it is presented, and pass their judgment even without going through it, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi said on Saturday taking a swipe at the Opposition over its “diamonds cheaper and flour costlier” comments on the Union Budget.

The Rajya Sabha member said that the price rise in 3Fs – food, fuel and fertilisers – was caused due to “international factors” and the Narendra Modi government worked to “control inflation with bravery” when several other countries were still reeling under it.

Modi, who is the chairman of the BJP’s 9-member central committee on Budget, said the Union Budget will create jobs through the highest-ever allocation of Rs 10 lakh crore towards capital expenditure.

He said the Budget provides tax relief to the middle class and professionals, relief to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and cooperative societies, and focuses on urban infrastructure, among others.

As far as diamond is concerned, he said, the question was not about the gemstone getting cheaper. “It is about (lab-grown) diamonds, which will take 2-3 years to hit the market,” he said at a press conference here.

“Those who comment do not know the cost of either rice-wheat or the diamond. These are leaders who react to the Budget even before it is presented, he said.

In a video interview with PTI on February 1, when the Budget was presented, Congress leader Gourav Vallabh had said that the essence of the budget was that diamonds had been made cheaper and flour expensive.

“They keep their handout ready, calling the Budget disappointing, anti-poor, anti-development that will raise unemployment. They do not have anything to do with going through the Budget,” said Modi, a former Bihar deputy chief minister.

Jibing the Opposition further on its take on the Budget, Modi said that he knew a leader in Bihar who would release his Budget reaction to the newspapers at 2 pm at a time when the Budget was passed at 5 pm.

Modi said that the price of wheat has come down in the last few days, and that inflation was tied to the country’s dependence on the import of 85 per cent crude oil, 40 per cent fertilisers and edible oil and a large amount of pulses.

“We import palm oil. Congress ruled the country for so many years and still we could not make the country self-sufficient in edible oil which is a basic requirement,” Modi said.

The BJP leader said that despite international factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, India has the lowest inflation compared to several other countries.

“The US, European countries and England are facing their highest inflation in 40 years. The Narendra Modi government has worked to control inflation with bravery. I am not saying there is no inflation, but compared to other countries, our inflation is easing as we have controlled it,” Modi said.

He said the Rs 10-lakh capex allocation for the fiscal 2023-24 will boost infrastructure development in the country, and it will help the economy grow 2.5 times as against revenue expenditure through cash dole which fails to create any multiplier effect.

Modi said that income tax relief to those with up to Rs 7 lakh annual income will hugely benefit the middle class. There are 1 crore such taxpayers, he said.

There are 43 crore middle-class people in the country, which will grow to 70 crore by 2030, he said. PTI KA PD NR NR NR

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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