New Delhi, Feb 1,2023: Asserting that the Union Budget 2023-24 presented in Parliament on Wednesday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has no vision, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the ‘Mitr Kaal’ budget — a spin-off of ‘Amrit Kaal’ — has no intent to address major issues.

Gandhi said the Budget presented earlier in the day was for ‘Mitr’ (friends) — in an indirect reference to his claims of the ruling dispensation favouring corporate houses.

Taking to Twitter, the former Congress president said: ” ‘Mitr Kaal’ Budget has: NO vision to create Jobs. NO plan to tackle Mehngai (inflation). NO intent to stem Inequality.”

“One per cent richest own 40 per cent wealth, 50 per cent poorest pay 64 per cent of GST, 42 per cent youth are unemployed – yet, PM doesn’t Care! This Budget proves Govt has NO roadmap to build India’s future,” he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Union Budget as the “first Budget of ‘Amrit Kaal” (the 25-year period from 2022 till 2047, when the country will celebrate 100 years of Independence), which would lay a strong foundation for a developed India.

“The first Budget of ‘Amrit Kaal’ will build a strong foundation for building a developed India. It gives priority to the deprived. This budget will fulfil the dreams of an aspirational society including poor people, middle-class people, and farmers. I congratulate Nirmala Sitharaman and her team for this historic Budget,” he said in a televised address after the Union Budget was presented in Parliament.

Modi described the middle-class as a big force and said that the government has made many decisions to empower them.