New Delhi: Opposition parties including Congress, CPI-M and Trinamool Congress on Thursday slammed the Union Budget as "jumlanomics" and "big bluff" and said the Modi government was still promising fair price to farmers despite being in office for nearly four years.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had made "fancy" announcements with no matching funds.
"Four years gone; still promising farmers a fair price. Four years gone; fancy schemes, with no matching budgets. Four years gone; no jobs for our youth. Thankfully, only one more year to go," Gandhi said in a tweet.
Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram held a press conference and termed the promised Rs 5 lakh national health protection scheme coverage scheme for Rs 10 crore families a "jumla".
He said there was "tokenism" on creating jobs, nothing to indicate rise in farmers income, no tax relief to the average tax payer and no measures to boost exports. He also expressed his deep disappointment about some major schemes having reduced outlays.
In Kolkata, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the Union Budget as a "big bluff", "anti-people" and "very disappointing".
"The BJP-led government in Delhi is unfit to govern. It is a budget which is neither here, nor there," she said.
Questioning the proposals for farmers mentioned in the budget, Banerjee said: "There is no mechanism. Has any fund been allotted for farmers? No."
The Left parties on Thursday called the budget a "big jumla" (rhetoric) of the government which has elections on its mind.
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury termed the budget as "Jumlanomics. Spin and Slogans, not substance".
The Shiv Sena said the Centre has presented an "election budget" and it had to take "desperate measures" following criticism over the GST, note ban and the Gujarat polls results.
Aam Admi Party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "I had expected some financial assistance to important infrastructure projects for the national capital. I am disappointed that Centre continues its step-motherly treatment to Delhi."
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president said: "There is disappointment among the poor, the farmers and labourers. Even in its final budget, the BJP showed that it only champions the cause of the rich. Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati described the Budget as a deception.