Budget 2023 a 'nirasha' instead of 'asha': Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow/New Delhi: Samajwadi Party head Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Wednesday that Union Budget 2023 served "nirasha" (despair) instead of "asha" (hope) to the people of the country, PTI reported.

According to him, the new Budget will further hike inflation and unemployment.

Presenting the Budget on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Budget 2023-24 expects to build the foundation of the previous Budget and blueprint for India@100.

However, Yadav wondered on Twitter, "The BJP is completing a decade of its budgets, but when it did not give anything to the public earlier, what will it give now?"

He also tweeted, "The BJP's Budget further increases inflation and unemployment. It does not give 'asha' but 'nirasha' to farmers, labourers, youth, women, professionals and the business class. This Budget is for the benefit of a few rich people."

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that there was "nothing special" in the President's address, Asian News International reported.

"There was nothing special in the President's address," ANI quoted Kharge.

Further, he said that Congress leaders who are experts on the Budget would speak on it first before the party president shares his views. He said that it would not be appropriate to speak on the Budget without seeing it. Congress will arrange a press conference, and experts on the matter in the party will speak about it, Kharge told reporters before leaving for the Budget announcement on Wednesday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, presenting the Budget 2023 on Wednesday, said that this Budget is the first one in "Amrit Kaal". The BJP government envision a "prosperous and inclusive India," ANI quoted her. She predicts that though the current times are challenging, the Indian economy is speeding towards "a bright future.