DMK president M. Karunanidhi was sceptical that the Union budget would take forward the country’s economy and raise the living standards of the people even as other party leaders decried the budget as anti-people and anti-poor.
Mr Karunanidhi, whose party is a constituent of the UPA government at the Centre, said the budget was a mix of some welcome features and avoidable proposals and had no measures to either contain or bring down the price rise.
“We have to wait and see whether the budget would take Indian economy forward and help to improve the standard of living of the people,” the DMK leader said.
The marginal increase in the income tax slab would disappoint many, he said and disagreed with the 30 per cent hike of excise on bi-cycles, used by common people.
DMDK leader Vijayakanth said the budget reflected India’s backward economic policy of taxing the poor to benefit the corporate giants.
This approach will only pave way for poverty, price rise and un-employment in the coming years, he said.
PMK leader Dr S. Ramadoss said the budget was full of anti-people measures and demanded rollback of new taxes which would burden the common people.
MDMK chief Vaiko said the budget would no way benefit the people. It had no mention about abolition of future trading and online trading, which triggered the price rise.
Expressing disappointment, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said the budget had no scheme to benefit the poor and downtrodden. It was shocking that the film industry has been exempted from service tax, he said.
TNCC president B.S. Gnanadesikan, however, hailing the budget, said a white paper on black money and proposed bills to check generation of black money and corruption were classic examples that the government was moving in the right path.