Budget does not reflect 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas': Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday slammed the Union Budget claiming it fails to deliver on the government's trumpeted 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' slogan as it has cut allocations for schemes for minorities and overlooks concerns of farmers, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Participating in the debate on the Budget, Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan said the expenditure on schemes meant for the minority groups have been slashed over the years.

"The Budget or any policy document depicts the government's philosophy. In this Budget of 2025-26, minorities have been totally overlooked. The welfare schemes for minorities, the programmes have been either shut or allocations have been cut," he said.

He said the allocation for pre-matric scholarships for minority groups students had a budget of Rs 433 crore in 2023-24, but only Rs 94 crore was released, and in 2024-25, the allocation was Rs 326 crore, but only Rs 90 crore was spent.

He added that this time, the allocation for this scheme is Rs 195 crore.  Similarly, he said the post-matric scholarship had a budget of Rs 1145 crore in 2024-25, which is down to Rs 413 crore this time, while a merit-cum-means scholarship scheme for professional courses, which had Rs 33.80 crore allocation in 2024-25, had been given only Rs. 7.34 crore this time.

"Madrassa and minority schemes used to get crores... In 2023-24, the allocation was Rs 10 crore, in 2024-25 it was Rs 2 crore, and this time, it is just Rs 1 lakh," he said.

"The philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is definitely not behind it. What is the philosophy? I think Golwalkar's book 'We and Our Nationhood Defined', in which they pledge to make minorities second-grade citizens, and 'Bunch of Thoughts', in which Muslims have been called enemy number one, and Christians have been called the second threat... That philosophy is working behind this Budget," he alleged.

Congress MP Ashok Singh batted for a loan waiver for farmers, adding that a law should to made so that the Minimum Support Price for crops is decided based on the input cost.

He expressed concern on the unemployment situation and said, "Government jobs are hardly there, and the working conditions in the private sector are bad." The Congress leader also demanded that a caste census should be held, and Bharat Ratna should be given to former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Niranjan Bishi of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said that the Budget should have announced cuts in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, which would have helped bring down inflation.

He also demanded that coal royalty should be increased so that Odisha could get its fair share.

"Unemployment has increased. The common people, SC and ST groups are very troubled. There is nothing for them in this Budget," he said.

"If the marginalised communities, the toiling masses don't develop, how would 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' happen?" he said.

Communist Party of India member PP Suneer accused the Union government of not giving Kerala its due share.

"The BJP has made it clear through policies that it seeks to punish Kerala for its unwavering commitment to secularism, social justice, and the welfare of its people," he said.

"Since the people of Kerala have repeatedly rejected the BJP's divisive and corporate-driven politics, this government has chosen to retaliate by choking our state financially," he alleged.

He also accused the Centre of not giving funds to the state for Wayanad, which witnessed massive floods and landslides last year.

AA Rahim of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also criticised the Centre's economic policies, and said, "True economic progress will come only by increasing wages and improving purchasing power for the vast majority of the workforce including youth. Modi government has failed to address real concerns of Indian citizens." PTI AO AO RT RT

Source: PTI