Union Budget 2018: Twitter users reject the Budget with disgust, disbelief and jokes
Yes, this was Budget, not Bamboo mission
At the end of the much-awaited Budget speech, which was also the last full Budget from the NDA government before the 2019 general elections, all that the middle class people had was their space to debate on Twitter. With no change in income tax slabs, the Budget disappointed the salaried class and even the reintroduction of standard deduction of Rs 40,000 failed to bring cheer. While it was expected that this would be a populist Budget ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, it ended up upsetting all at once.
We are not happy with #UnionBudget2018 , whatever requests we made for Andhra Pradesh have not been addressed: Yanamala Rama Krishnudu, AP Finance Minister pic.twitter.com/GxGHCgUZV7
— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2018
Uninspiring Budget
Mr Arun Jaitley just ensured that #BJP will be better in the opposition benches. An insipid, uninspiring, rhetorical budget. #Budget2018
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 1, 2018
On the whole disappointing #Budget2018. Nothing for the aam aadmi, no tax for the middle class, no incentives to create jobs, no investment stimulus. Silence on disaster relief for #CycloneOckhi & on the defence budget. No MSP for rabi farmers. No additional funds for MNREGA. pic.twitter.com/2qROUfXPiv
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 1, 2018
The first hour of Arun Jaitley’s budget speech indicates that the Narendra Modi Government is getting ready for the next general elections. Don’t rule out early polls.
— ParanjoyGuhaThakurta (@paranjoygt) February 1, 2018
Arun Jaitley says Indian economy is in better shape than 2014, really ? Mr FM, you are terribly unprepared for your last budget. Which is bigger , 6.9 % GDP that you inherited from UPA, or the 6.5% now...? #Budget2018
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 1, 2018
#Budget2018 Real Aim of Budget by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is to take back BJP to 2 Lok Sabha SeatsClueless , Direction less, last Budget of BJP pic.twitter.com/v3wDQFzEad
— Jagjit (@COMMANMANOFUPA) February 1, 2018
So salaries of MPs are being doubled while the middle class pays more taxes. Great
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) February 1, 2018
Yes, this was Budget, not Bamboo mission
For those who may be confused. National Bamboo Mission does not refer to what the budget has done to the middle class.It’s just another provision in the budget...
— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) February 1, 2018
This budget is final proof that the salaried middle class is this govt’s lowest priority.The govt thinks it has the middle class sewn up & middle class voters have nowhere else to go.It’s the kind of fatal mistake politicians make when they believe their own Twitter trolls
— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) February 1, 2018
The unanswered questions
If there was one sector the Budget has been magnanimous towards, it was agriculture as Jaitley increased the minimum support price for kharif crops to 1.5 times the cost price, as well as suggested a “cluster model” of farming for horticulture, organic farming, and growing aromatic and medicinal herbs. But there were some doubts.
Arun Jaitley has promised cost+50% as MSP for farmers. What does this mean for MSPs? By what %age will MSPs rise? By when? How much money allocated? Anyone knows?
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) February 1, 2018
Fraud of MSP only for Kharif i.e. Elections:Cost of production used by govt does not include costs of family labour & land rent, which is the global norm. We reiterate our demand for bringing a law giving farmers the Right to Sell at MSP.
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 1, 2018
Ahmed Patel got trolled for sympathising with middle class
What became the bone of contention in Budget 2018 was the MPs getting entitled to an automatic raise every five years. This replaced a system in which the MPs could determine their appraisals, which received flak in the past. The simmering anger was evident when Congress MP Ahmed Patel was trolled for expressing sympathy with the salaried class by saying that he would not mind skipping the raise.
Would have preferred if instead of MP's getting a salary raise, the salaried middle class would have got income tax relief
— Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) February 1, 2018
And this is how people took on him.
Why don't you give up your salary hike?
— Mohan Sinha (@Mohansinha) February 1, 2018
You could help by donating Vadra's land and from National Gandhi Parivaar' coffers or on a serious note all the MPs can voluntarily donate the incremental amount
— Gabbargiri (@tanhimanshu) February 1, 2018
Poor defence figures
Arun Jaitley’s speech had no mention of defence allocation, which raised a hue and cry on social media for this sector remains grossly overlooked. The minister only heaped praises on the armed forces, and the apprehension was proved right after the figures emerged indicating a 7.81 per cent hike in defence allocation.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has thanked the military for its sacrifices, but not said a word about budget allocation figures! A bad sign for those hoping for a significant raise in spending?
— Ajai Shukla (@ajaishukla) February 1, 2018
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley did all #Jumlebaji abt military sacrifices, but not a word was said about budget allocation figures! So we knw how serious they are abt Army. @INCIndia @OfficeOfRG
— Madhu Goud Yaskhi (@MYaskhi) February 1, 2018
The defence budget this year is 1.57 percent of the projected GDP. Remains a sore issue for the forces. https://t.co/6G3pliAkP0
— Manu Pubby (@manupubby) February 1, 2018
Middle class disappointment
And then there were those who could still laugh at themselves.
Since birth I have seen two types of budget!!1. Bad Budget and nothing for middle class!2. Good Budget but nothing for middle class!#Budget2018
— Shash (@pokershash) February 1, 2018
#Budget2018 Middle Class: Sir, hamaare liye kuch... Jaitley: pic.twitter.com/JpbIUgvjK9
— Sumit SingH (@sumitsinghk27) February 1, 2018
#Budget2018 no revision on tax slabs, disappointing...middle class salaried ppl we pay TDs then again pay through expenses and still every budget we are taken for granted #Budget2018 #Jaitley #NewIndiaBudget
— Raghavendra (@Raghubv) February 1, 2018
MP's to get automatic salary revision in 5 yrs and for salaried class nothing has changed in decades.. @narendramodi you have lost 2019.. #Budget2018
— gaurav (@gaurav2203) February 1, 2018
Are salaried class earning salaries and tax benefits only for other part of the society? Infact salaried are most contributing to development of the nation . Such a dissapointment to honest ones #Budget2018
— Sachin Deshpande (@sdsachin) February 1, 2018