The Opposition and some partiessupporting the government today slammed the general budgetas "jugglery" of numbers and said it had forgotten the 'aamadmi', who was already burdened by price rise, and had nothingto offer to the farmers.
Expressing disappointment with the budget proposals,Leaderof Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said "it isunimaginative, dull and boring".
"There is nothing for the women, youth and poor" in thisbudget and neither is anything there for boosting the agrisector or for controlling prices," she said.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the budget is "verbose" and"extremely low on substance" and has a bit of "jugglery" tocut down on expenditure.
"Having pushed the economy in a distress situation, hecomes out with a budget of helplessness. In the first nineyears, UPA government pushed the economy in distress and thena helpless Finance Minister comes out with a budget which hasvery little elbow space," he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav termed thebudget as "anti-poor" and "anti-farmer" and vowed to oppose itin Parliament. "This budget is only for 10 per cent populationof the country. What kind of budget is this which ignores 65per cent people who are engaged in farming," he said.
BSP leader Mayawati, whose party has extended support tothe UPA, criticised the budget saying it was drafted to"confuse" the common man and there was nothing new in it. Shesaid all the announcements seem lofty and "in the air".
"There is nothing new in this budget and there nothing forfarmers, employees and the middle class," she said, addingthat the policies of the central government are not in theinterest of the common man and are "anti-people".
BJP leader Mukhthar Abbas Naqvi said, "the nine-year-oldnon-performing government has come out with a box of promises.
Its a disappointment and confusing budget."
BJD MP Kalikesh Singh Deo lamented that nogrowth-oriented reforms have been unveiled. "It's a thumbsdown below average budget.
"No growth orientation reforms have taken place. Speciallysupply side constraints in agriculture where large amount ofinvestment is required to get farmers access to market."
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "This is a lollypop election budget with minor additional investment and full oftokenism. Uproar is more but reality is different."
Terming it as an "election oriented exercise", CPINational Secretary D Raja said, "It has also not addressed thekey question of revenue generation. It appears to be atechnical jugglery and we will have to see what comes out ofit in real terms."
He said there is also nothing on the huge non-performingassets of banks or on black-money and there is no taxation ofthe super-rich and only a surcharge has been introduced.
Former Finance Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha saidChidambaram has juggled with numbers and direct and indirecttax proposals put forth to add about Rs 18,000 crore revenuewill further fuel price rise.
"It is a jugglery of numbers that Finance Minister PChidambaram has done in his budget to show a reduced fiscaldeficit for this year and the next year.... The additional taxproposals will add to the rising prices and will further hitthe common man," said Sinha.
Taking a dig, he said Chidambaram has criticised hispredecessor Pranab Mukherjee, who is now the President, andsaid "he deserves a better treatment."
BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said, "It is not a FinanceMinister's budget. It's an accountant's budget."
JD-U leader Sharad Yadav said there is no relief tofarmers, middle class and workers. "This budget has failed toaddress all the ills afflicting the country. No tax has beenimposed on malls and hotels which consume diesel. Had thisbeen done, famers would have got subsidy."
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari,however, said that the prudent, productive and progressivebudget would boost growth.
"The three P's of FM's budget - prudent , productive &progressive. It would boost growth and augment equity- UPA'sguiding philosophy," the I&B minister tweeted.