Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday claimed overwhelming people’s ‘positive’ response to Budget for 2022-23, opposition parties including Congress and Trinamul Congress variously termed it a ‘zero sum’ and ‘PM (Does Not) Care 2022 Budget’.

Amid the opposition all round disapproval of the budgetary provisions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who earlier in the day tabled the Budget sought to take on Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi, who had in a tweet called it a “Zero-sum budget” at a post-budget press conference.

When a reporter drew her attention to Rahul Gandhi’s remark, Sitharaman said she would not respond to people who come out with quick response (to budget) but would rather welcome and respond to people with quick understanding (of budget).

“I pity those who make comments without thinking,” the Finance minister said terming Rahul Gandhi’s remarks as ‘irresponsible comments coming as criticism (of budget),” Sitharaman said without naming the Congress leader.

Earlier, soon after the adjournment of the Lok Sabha by Speaker Om Birla, speaking to media persons outside the Parliament complex, Congress member Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment with the budget calling it a ‘damp squib’.

“In the one and half hour of speech (of Sitharaman), there was no mention of any provisions on defense in the context of China, price rise, the extra allocation for MGNREGA,” Tharoor charged.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “M0di G0vernment’s Zer0 Sum Budget! Nothing for – Salaried class – Middle class – The poor & deprived – Youth – Farmers – MSMEs.”

M0di G0vernment’s Zer0 Sum Budget!

Nothing for
– Salaried class
– Middle class
– The poor & deprived
– Youth
– Farmers
– MSMEs

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 1, 2022

Congress’ Manish Tewari termed the budget as “Insipid Unimaginative Uninspiring Unrealistic Unimplementable”. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the budget was a ‘betrayal’ of India’s salaried and middle class.

“India’s Salaried Class & Middle Class were hoping for relief in times of pandemic, all-round pay cuts and back-breaking inflation. FM & PM have again deeply disappointed them in Direct Tax measures. This is a betrayal of India’s Salaries Class & Middle Class,” Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.

India’s Salaried Class & Middle Class were hoping for relief in times of pandemic, all round pay cuts and back breaking inflation.

FM & PM have again deeply disappointed them in Direct Tax measures.

This is a betrayal of India’s Salaries Class & Middle Class.#Budget2022

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 1, 2022

Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien called the budget ‘PM (Does Not) Care Budget 2022.’ “Diamonds are this government’s best friend. For the rest – farmers, middle class, daily earners, unemployed – this is a PM (Does Not) Care Budget2022,” he said.

The ruling party members and former finance ministers however strongly came out in support of the budget. Manoj Tiwari calling it a unique budget said the Budget 2022-23 took into account the interests of farmers, youth, women, SC, and marginalised sections.

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad complimented the Prime Minister and Finance Minister for presenting a ‘robust’ budget. He said it had set the roadmap for development.

Prahlad Joshi said reacting to opposition criticism that they had nothing to say except criticise the budget.

Former Finance Minister Jayanta Sinha welcoming the budget said good work had been done in terms of job creation. He called the budget ‘pro-growth’.

Union Minister Ashwani Choubey described the budget ‘Amit Budget’ which has come up after ‘samudra manthan’. He said despite the Corona pandemic it had been ensured how to maintain the momentum of economic growth.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, “This Budget will make India self-reliant and lay the foundation for a new India of the 100th year of independence. I congratulate @narendramodi and @nsitharaman for this.”

मोदी सरकार द्वारा लाया गया ये बजट, एक दूरदर्शी बजट है, जो भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था का स्केल बदलने वाला बजट साबित होगा।

ये बजट भारत को आत्मनिर्भर बनाने के साथ स्वतंत्रता के 100वें वर्ष के नए भारत की नींव डालेगा। इसके लिए @narendramodi जी और @nsitharaman जी का अभिनंदन करता हूँ।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 1, 2022

Union minister Nitin Gadkari thanked the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for giving an ‘excellent budget’.