Budget anti-poor, anti-people: Left, BJP, SP, JD-U

New Delhi, Feb 28: Launching a scathing attack on the budgetpresented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram today, the left parties andthe opposition BJP, Samajwadi Party and Janata Dal (United) wereunanimous in terming it ''anti-poor and anti-people'' with nothingbeing done to control the rising prices.

''Adami ka khana sasta and kutton ka khana mahnga ho gaya hai, wohbhi videshi kutton ka (Peoples food has been costlier while dogs foodhas become cheaper, that too pedigree dogs),'' was the common commentmade by most political leaders when asked to react on the fourth budgetof the UPA government.

However, the Congress made an effort to project the check on the forward trading as a measure to check the inflation.

They also emphasised that implemenation would be better for the projects.

''Congress ka hath Aam Admi ki gardan par,'' was the spontaneousreaction of Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh who said thatit was a hollow budget full of rhetorics and less on substance. He saidthat the Congress has not learnt its lesson from poll defeat in Punjaband Uttarakhand. He said that ''Manmohanomics and Chidambaramism wouldnot fetch the Congress votes in the coming elections in Uttar Pradeshwhere people are suffering from high prices.' Charging the Congresswith working for the Corporate Houses and not for people, he said thatthere is nothing in the budget for the common people, especially forthe poor who donot understand GDP and sensex. He also hinted that therelief given to the plastic industry was meant to ''benefit aparticular corporate house.''

Terming the budget as ''unfortunate'',BJP leader Anant Kumar said that Mr Chidambaram has lost theopportunity to provide any relief to the common people reeling underthe high rate of inflation. He said that no relief has been given tofarmers who were comitting suicides in many parts of the country. Hesaid that there were no measures to check inflation in the budget whichis both anti people and anti-farmers.

Stating that he was ''deeply and extremely sorry'' for the budget,Mr Gurudas Das Gupta of the CPI said that it was benign and colourlessand not meant for the common people. There was no thrust on agricultureand problems fo poverty and unemployment remained unanswered in thebueget. He said that the the Congress has not learnt any lesson fromthe electoral debacle it has faced yesterday.

Highlighting the plight of farmers committing suicide in Vidarbharegion of Maharashtra, Mr Manohar Joshi of the Shiv Sena said no reliefhas been given to poor farmers. Asserting that Maharashtra was facing alot of load shedding, he said that no promise of providing power to thestate has been given. Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav saidthe budget was a carbon copy of the last year's budget as all the oldschemes have been taken forward with no new announcements and nomeasures to check price rise. Though expressing satisfaction that''partial ban'' has been put on the forward trading of commodities tocheck inflation, Mr Yadav said it was partial and done after muchhestation. He said the demand for stopping the Commodity Exchanges hasnot yet been met.

Moreover questioning the setting up of a Committee on farm sector,he said that it was a delaying tactics becaise if the government wantedto help them it should have directly announced the subsidy.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said no steps have been taken inthe budget to carry forward the benefit of high economic growth to thecommon people. Pointing out that this was the year when the Governmentcould have done something for the people as the next year would be anelection budget, he said that the budget has no strategy for counteringinflation.

''Humour in the budget is that the food for common and poor peoplehave become costlier than those for the dogs,'' he said and added thatthere has been no situation for development created by the budget.

However, defending the budget Congress leader and Tourism MinisterAmbika Soni said that the forward trading has been banned to checkinflation. Moreover, the Central government has decided to take theburden for the reduction in the fuel cost. She said that the budget isgrowth oriented and has taken measures to check inflation.

Asserting that the Congress leadership, including Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, is concerned about therising prices, she said that several meetings have been held on theissue and Dr Singh has written to Chief Ministers asking the stategovernments to take steps to check inflation by strengthening the PDS.

RJD leader and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh saidthe budget was in the right direction and the ban on forward trading incommodities would reduce the inflationary tendencies. Asserting thatthe budget has taken measures for rural development and a goodbeginning for the eleventh plan, Dr Singh said he was satisfied withthe allocation for rural development.

Terming the budget as ''balanced,'' Dr Singh said income tax rebate and steps taken to control price rise were welcome.

Minister of State for Home Shreeprakash Jaiswal also felt that thebudget has taken measures for agriculture sector and farmers.

However, Lok Janshakti Party MP Ramchandra Paswan felt that therewas not much in the budget for poor and farmers. He felt that farmersand agriculture sector have been neglected in the budget.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said the budget was not onlyanti-poor but also anti-minority. Charging the governemnt of giving''lollypop to the minorities,'' in the budget, he said that the UPAgovernment did not even ''fine tune'' the budget prepared four-fivedays ago to take corrective measures in view of the Punjab andUttarakhand assembly poll results.

However, Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay expressedsatisfaction over the allocations in the budget made for minorities. Hesaid that his ministry, which was nodal agency for implementation ofthe project for minorities, would work for their effectiveimplementation than just getting more funds.

Samajwadi Party MP and son of Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterAkhilesh Yadav said that budget has no provision to tackle poverty,unemployment and inflation. Charging the UPA government of not doinganything for Uttar Pradesh both in the rail budget and General Budget,he said UPA government lacked both ''the policies and intentions.'' Hesaid that the demand for an airport for Greater Noida has beenneglected. Regarding the steps taken for minorities, he said that sincethere was no provisions for their employment how could poverty beeradicated.

UNI