Hailing the Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said it is "one of hope" that will boost India's development in the 21st century and empower the downtrodden, but the Congress slammed it as "insipid" and accused the government of not paying any heed to common citizens or economists before preparing it.
While the Modi government's first budget after it assumed power for a second term had the ruling BJP-led NDA members heaping praise on it, opposition parties, including the left parties remained unimpressed.
Echoing Modi's sentiments, BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also dubbed the budget as "futuristic", and said it reflected the Prime Minister's vision where farmers prosper, the poor leads a life of dignity, the middle class gets its due and Indian enterprise is boosted.
"The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a futuristic one. It provides a coherent road map for sectors that will drive growth and innovation among our citizens. The emphasis on clean energy and cashless transactions are also steps in the right direction," Shah tweeted.
In his first reaction on the budget, beamed by the state broadcaster, Modi described the budget as a document for building a "new India" and said it will strengthen the poor and create a better future for the youth.
Asserting that the budget has taken all round steps for the empowerment of poor, farmers, Dalits, oppressed and the underprivileged sections of the society, he said they will be "powerhouse" of the country in the coming five years and boost its development.
The budget is one of hope and it is a budget that will boost India's development in the 21st century, Modi said and added that "the country will get the energy to fulfil the dream of a USD 5 trillion economy from these empowered sections."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content