"Sedative Till Next Lok Sabha Polls": Shiv Sena's Editorial Slams Union Budget

In a critique of the Union Budget tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Wednesday, 'Saamana', the official mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray faction said it was pre-election budget and a sedative for the people till the next general elections.

The column stated that after almost eight years, the Finance minister announced an increase in the limit of exemption in income tax.

"Under this government, the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG have doubled and tax exemptions declared today in the Budget doesn't make compensate for that. Amid the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and rising inflation in all areas, this might be a plan by the government to divert public attention from all these questions through a tax relief," the column read.

The editorial further claimed that the government announced special budgetary allocations for Karnataka with an eye on the next Assembly elections in the state, which is scheduled to be held this year.

"In order to make the people of Karnataka happy, the government announced a special allocation for Karnataka. The Finance Minister emphasized in her speech that adequate funds should be provided for the Bhadra Irrigation Project of Karnataka. While making such an announcement for Karnataka, the Finance minister forgot that Mumbai and Maharashtra contribute the most to the country's exchequer," it said.

It alleged that Maharashtra got nothing from this budget and yet, the Sindhe-Fadnavis government welcomed it, proving that they have mortgaged their self-respect.