 "TMC leaders slam Budget as one for NDA, not India, says nothing for WB")
The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and said the Union Budget reflected the fiscal and political bankruptcy of the regime.
In a social media post, the party dismissed the term 'Union Budget 2024', renaming it as the 'Andhra-Bihar Budget'.
Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh in a post on X said, "This budget should not be labeled as union budget. It is a budget to keep Andhra Pradesh and Bihar happy. To save one's chair and keeping some others in good humour."
Accusing the Modi government of neglecting West Bengal and replicating successful social welfare schemes pioneered by the Mamata Banerjee administration, Ghosh emphasised that the Budget failed to address the nation's core issues and merely manipulated statistics and rhetoric.
Summing up his criticism, the former Rajya Sabha MP described the Budget proposals as emblematic of the Centre's financial and political bankruptcy.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee told reporters in Delhi that "the Modi government's continued deprivation of Bengal will face a strong response from the people."
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He emphasised that while TMC does not oppose Budget allocations for states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, he criticised the budget for reflecting a vindictive attitude, echoing recent remarks made by Suvendu Adhikari regarding those who did not vote for BJP.
The Union Budget allocated substantial funds for Bihar, including over Rs 26,000 crore for highway development and Rs 11,500 crore for flood mitigation efforts.
Additional initiatives for Bihar encompassed new bridges over the Ganga, a new airport, a medical college, and advancements for Nalanda University and tourist attractions like the Nalanda-Rajgir corridor.
Gaya was designated as the headquarters for the Kolkata-Amritsar corridor, alongside plans for three new expressways and enhanced sports infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh received significant financial aid, including Rs 15,000 crore for the state capital's development, with ongoing commitments for future support.
The Budget also earmarked over Rs 3 lakh-crore for women-centric schemes, pledged to complete the Polavaram irrigation project, and announced a grant for backward regions in three districts of the state.