Following the presentation of the Union Budget on Sunday, Abhishek Banerjee, the National General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), launched a scathing attack on the Central Government. The Diamond Harbour MP dismissed the Finance Minister’s 85-minute speech as a directionless exercise, labeling it a “Missionless, Visionless, and Baseless” budget that systematically ignores the interests of West Bengal.
Allegations of Regional Deprivation
Banerjee’s primary grievance centered on the perceived exclusion of Bengal from the Center’s financial roadmap. Invoking the sentiment of “Bengali Pride” (Bengali Asmita), he argued that the budget offered zero tangible benefits for the state’s 10 crore residents.
“There is absolutely nothing for Bengal in this 85-minute budget,” Banerjee stated. “The Finance Minister spent nearly an hour and a half talking, but it was essentially meaningless chatter (vhat).”
He highlighted the proposal for new NIMHANS-like institutes in Assam and Jharkhand as a specific example of bypass tactics. Banerjee noted that while neighboring states received infrastructure, Bengal was skipped over, forcing its citizens to travel across borders for specialized healthcare.
Critique of Economic Strategy
Beyond regional interests, the TMC leader questioned the broader economic utility of the budget for India’s working class. He pointed out a lack of concrete plans for:
Employment: No definitive roadmap for job creation despite rhetoric regarding Skill India and AI.
Agriculture: Absence of financial solutions for farmers and fisherfolk.
Youth Empowerment: A failure to address the “crippling frustration” among the younger generation.
“This is a budget born out of desperation,” Banerjee remarked, suggesting that the government has lost its sense of direction regarding national development.
The Counter-Argument: BJP Defends “Development-Oriented” Budget
In response to the TMC’s criticism, BJP leader Tapas Roy defended the fiscal plan, asserting that it focuses on long-term growth rather than short-term populist handouts. Roy dismissed the allegations of deprivation, stating:
The residents of Bengal will receive the same benefits as every other Indian citizen under central schemes.
He criticized those who try to view Bengal as a separate entity from India’s overall growth story.
Roy argued that the state’s debt issues could only be resolved if a “Double Engine” government (BJP at both Center and State) were established.
As Bengal heads toward upcoming elections, this budgetary clash underscores the deepening divide between the TMC’s focus on state-specific deprivation and the BJP’s narrative of unified national progress.