Modi govt stands with poor, middle class: Piyush Goyal after Interim Budget speech

After presenting the last Budget of the Narendra Modi government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that it was an inclusive, all-reaching Budget. Introducing the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, Goyal said that the Modi government was pro-poor and stand by the middle class. “Those sitting in AC rooms cannot understand the plight of the small farmers. Keeping this in mind, we have introduced the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This is a historic decision,” Goyal said while addressing the media after his Interim Budget speech. “A holistic approach has been taken by the Government for the welfare of all sections of citizenry,” Goyal added.

“Under new system being developed, income tax assessment to be done in 24 hours,” Goyal said. 

Though the government is saying that the Budget is not about votes but rather a continuation of their ‘vikas yatra,’ the Opposition has called it a way to bribe the voters. However, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that, “Opposition has no issues to talk about, they are scared of Modi Ji’s welfare schemes. We don’t do vote bank politics, we do development politics. We are dedicated to take Indian farmers to new heights.”

Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah hailed the Interim Budget for "benefiting" all sections of society and said it has proved that the Modi government is dedicated to the aspirations of the country's youths, farmers and poor. Shah told reporters that the budget will spur growth, generate employment and also provide relief to the middle class, farmers and poor workers among others.

The BJP chief described the hike in income tax exemption announced by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal as "historic" and said it will not only provide tax relief to the middle class but also deepen their participation in the country's development.

He highlighted various measures announced in the budget for different sections of society and said those for farmers will prove to be a "milestone" in doubling their income.