The Centre’s Union Budget for 2022-23, announced on Tuesday, and was met with criticism from the opposition with Rahul Gandhi calling it a “Zero sum budget”.

Saying that it had nothing to offer to the middle classes, youth, farmers or women, the opposition slammed the Union Budget presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today.

Sitharaman called this year’s budget a “blueprint to steer economy from India@75 to India@100”.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Modi Government’s Zero Sum Budget! Nothing for - Salaried class - Middle class - The poor & deprived - Youth - Farmers – MSMEs”.

Speaking to ANI, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “Extremely disappointing, a damp squib! There seems to be absolutely nothing in this budget."

"It's an astonishingly disappointing budget. When you listen to the speech, no mention of MGNREGA, defence or of any other urgent priorities facing the public," said Tharoor.

He then said that the country would have to wait for 25 more years for ‘acche din’ to arrive.

“We are facing terrible inflation and there's no tax relief for the middle class. This is a Budget that seems to be pushing the mirage of 'achhe din' even farther away. Now it's India at 100, we'll have to wait for 25 more years for 'acche din' to arrive," the Congress MP said.

Tharoor also said that as far as digital currency is concerned, the Union government has made a reasonable proposition.

However, the budget lacked substance for common citizens.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, “India's salaried and middle class were hoping for relief in times of the pandemic, all round pay cuts and back breaking inflation. FM & PM have again deeply disappointed them in direct tax measures. This is a betrayal of India's salaried and middle class”.

Congress’ Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Modi government was on a “destructive path” as on one hand, it spoke of protecting the environment and on the other hand, it was promoted ecologically disastrous river-linking projects.

He took to Twitter to write, “On the one hand, the budget talks of climate action and protecting the environment. On the other hand, it pushes ecologically disastrous river-linking projects. Rhetoric sounds nice. But actions matter more. On that front, the Modi government is on a destructive path”.

Criticising the budget, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed it “Pegasus spin Budget” and said that it had ‘zero’ for the common people.

She tweeted, “Budget has zero for common people, who are crushed by unemployment and inflation. Government is lost in big words signifying nothing-a Pegasus spin Budget.”

The Trinamool Congress supremo slammed the central government saying that it was only about big talks without any significant work.

Further hitting out at the government, TMC’s Derek O’Brien said, “Diamonds are this government's best friend. For the rest— farmers, middle class, daily earners, unemployed— this is a PM (Does Not) Care Budget 2022".