Congress leaders reacted along expected lines.
The Congress on Friday alleged that the government presented a full-fledged budget instead of an interim one, and said it was not a vote on account, but an "account for votes".
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, addressing a press conference after the government presented the interim budget, said Finance Minister Piyush Goyal tested patience by giving the "longest" interim budget speech in recent memory.
Read: How you can go tax-free up to Rs 10 lakh
Yet, former PM Manmohan Singh admitted that the SOPs for middle class and farmers would affect polls.
Read: Surgical strike on Opp, says Paswan
Manmohan Singh called it an 'election budget'. He, however, admitted that the concessions to the middle class and farmers would have 'implications'.
He said: “In these circumstances of the case, concessions to farmers and concessions to middle class will obviously have implications in the election."
Read: How's the Josh, ask BJP leaders in Parliament
On the other hand, Congress president Rahul Gandhi wrote: “Dear NoMo, 5 years of your incompetence and arrogance has destroyed the lives of our farmers. Giving them Rs. 17 a day is an insult to everything they stand and work for.”
Chidamabaram said: “My one line comment on the budget is that it was not a Vote on Account but an Account for, the government has trampled on time-honoured conventions," he said.
Chidambaram said a government confident of returning to power would have respected the conventions.
Read: How this budget will affect you?
"It is crystal clear that the government has no hope of returning to power and has, therefore, acted desperately and recklessly, and in violation of the Constitution," he said.
The big takeaway is that the present government has further weakened fiscal stability and for the second year in succession the government has missed the fiscal deficit target, he said.
All of the announcements are "last-gasp announcements" by a government whose term will effectively end in about 90 days, Chidambaram said.
Read: Who gets what?
Read: Income Tax rebate explained
Read: PM hails Budget 2019
1. Rajnath Singh reaction
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Terming the interim Budget "historic", Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said it is aimed at strengthening the economy and will benefit all sections of society. Finance Minister Piyush Goyal presented the interim Budget for the 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha. He doled out tax sops to middle class, including doubling of income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh, raising standard deduction to Rs 50,000, and provided concessions on interest income from bank deposits and rent. "Our government wants the country's economy to get stronger and that was aim of the Budget. I would call it a historic Budget. It would benefit all sections of society," Singh told reporters outside Parliament.
2. Second surgical strike
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Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and R K Singh dubbed the Budget a "surgical strike on the Opposition". "This is the second surgical strike. First surgical strike was when our soldiers fought with bullets at the border and it will be the ballot this year. The Budget will benefit farmers," Paswan said. Singh said the Opposition should welcome the Budget. "I advice the Opposition to welcome the Budget and it felt like a surgical strike on the Opposition. It was shell-shocked. It should be happy because the people are happy," he said.
3. Mahesh Sharma
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Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said the Budget will benefit the common man and the service class. "It benefits the poor population too. Such a Budget has been presented after many years and it would help in empowering people of this country," he said. "From health to education to farmers' welfare to gratuity, all areas have been covered and it would benefit the people," he added. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "There was a lot of fantasy language and castles being constructed in the air but very little actually happening in real terms." However, he praised the tax exemptions introduced for the middle-class.
4. How’s the Josh?
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From reference to "josh" of Bollywood flick 'Uri', jeering by opposition members to chants of "Modi, Modi" from the BJP, there were varied reactions in Lok Sabha as Finance Minister Piyush Goyal gave his interim budget speech on Friday. Goyal announced various populist measures, including direct cash transfer to farmers and income tax exemptions, all of which were welcomed by thumping of desks by the ruling side. Attired in a grey jacket and black kurta, Goyal also made it a point to explain some of the key announcements, including those related to income tax sops, in Hindi. Traditionally, finance ministers stick to their written Budget speech.
Goyal paused for almost a minute as the ruling party members continued to cheer and chant "Modi, Modi" and thumped their desks after he announced doubling of income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh from the next fiscal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers were also seen thumping their desks.
5. Uri was fun
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"It was fun watching Uri. There was a lot of josh (energy) in the movie (Uri movie mein jo maza aaya. Jo Josh tha)," Goyal said while mentioning the future agenda.
This prompted many members, including Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to deliver the movie's dialogue "How is the josh".
The finance minister used the word 'josh' twice during the speech.
During the speech, Modi was seen thumping his desk numerous times. After the Budget presentation, Goyal turned towards Modi with folded hands. Soon after, a smiling Modi walked up to Goyal and patted him on his back.
6. Drama continues
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As some opposition members tried to disturb Goyal's speech, the laughter of TMC members -- Idris Ali and Kalyan Banerjee -- rang out aloud in the House prompting the minister to say it reminded him of the Ram Lila.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to... probably it reminded of the Ram Lila," Goyal said.
He was apparently referring to Modi's swipe at the then Congress MP Renuka Chowdhary after her loud laughter during his speech in Rajya Sabha last year.
The finance minister, who entered the House around five to seven minutes before the proceedings began, touched the feet of Cabinet colleagues Nitin Gadkari and Uma Bharti, and BJP veteran Shanta Kumar.
Goyal, who is the interim finance minister as Arun Jaitley is in the US for treatment, mentioned him in the beginning of the speech, saying he was "deeply conscious of the absence of Shri Arun Jaitley today".
7. Sonia Gandhi gives it a miss
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After finishing the speech, many MPs congratulated Goyal, and as he was walking, he waved at his family members, including wife Seema Goyal, standing in the visitors' gallery.
The family members waved back and one of gave the thumbs up.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi was away from the House for a brief period during the Budget presentation. This prompted some BJP members to remark that 'Rahul Baba bhag gaye (Rahul ran away)'.
The visitors' gallery was almost full and Rajya Sabha members, including Rajeev Chandrashekhar (BJP), Y S Chowdary (TDP) and Majeed Memon (NCP), were present there.
Former Union Minister M J Akbar and former RBI Deputy Governor Narendra Jadhav, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, were also present.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress' Chief Whip in the House Jyotiraditya Scindia and Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai were not in the House.
8. Budget Highlights
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On February 1, in the absence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal is presenting the NDA government's interim budget. The budget, which is being presented two months ahead of the general elections, have all eyes on it as it will make or break the present government's future in power.
The budget is also crucial as the PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, has been facing increasing criticism over several issues like rising farmer distress, loss of jobs and a lower growth rate. Here are the highlights of Interim Budget 2019 being presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1
