'Budget is election manifesto,attempts to bribe voters'

Feb 1: Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday termed the Union Budget as BJP's "election manifesto" and accused the ruling dispensation of bribing voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Kharge said the promises made by the BJP in this budget are mere poll sops and "jumlas", which will not be fulfilled as the BJP has a mandate to rule only till May this year.

General elections are slated to be held in April-May.

"I would term today's budget as BJP's election manifesto," Kharge said.

"This is all being done for elections. I directly charge them of paying bribe to voters," he alleged.

Kharge said the BJP has not told the people on what they have achieved during their rule and how many promises it has fulfilled in its five years of government.

It also did not talk about its "jumla" of providing Rs 15 lakh into the bank accounts of people, he said, adding that it also did not fulfil the promise of providing 10 crore jobs in five years.

"These are only election sops and 'jumlas', as they had been speaking about 'jumlas' in the past.

"There is politics in everything they do and there is nothing for the poor in this budget...This budget is only an election manifesto that the BJP read in Parliament and it is only for getting votes," Kharge said, adding people understand that they will not be befooled any more.

The senior Congress leader said no progress has taken place in their government and what they are going to do in future are 'mere jumlas (gimmicks)', from which people will not benefit.

"The BJP are thinking that they will get votes, but people understand that as in the past they had deceived and befooled the people, youth and farmers and they are doing so again," he said.

Kharge also alleged that the budget for Dalits is also very less, as there is very less provision for them and alleged that the BJP is trying to befool the farmers.

He alleged that the government did not provide 10 crore jobs and the money kept for 1.2 crore houses is very less.

Farmers with less than 2.5 hectares land, he said, will get only Rs 6,000 per year, which is Rs 500 per month.

"They are distributing money in elections to please farmers, but the reality is that in the first three months they would give only Rs 2,000 in first instalment," he said.

On the announcement of Income Tax exemption up to Rs 5 lakh to tax-payers, he alleged the BJP parliamentarians are creating a 'tamasha' in Parliament.

"You have a mandate up to May and instead they have presented a full year's budget and are trying to befool the people of the country, keeping elections in mind.

"Who will fulfil these promises made. If they do not come to power, who will fulfil these promises. The next government will come and only it can deliver.

"These are only election sops and 'jumlas', as they had been speaking about 'jumlas' in the past," he said.