Mamata Banerjee denounces Budget 2021, claims prices will hike despite FM's assurance

Reacting to the Union Budget 2021-22 presented by the Centre on Monday morning, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remarked that it is an 'anti-people budget' and claimed that the prices of goods would be hiked soon. Denouncing the budget, the TMC chief said that the Centre has not brought any reform for the farmers and also hit out at the BJP-led government for imposing cess on fuel prices. 

Mamata Banerjee's attack on the Centre claiming hike in prices comes even as the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech highlighted that the additional cess imposed will not affect consumers as several other taxes have been reduced so that the overall price remains almost unchanged. 

"Consequent to the imposition of Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on petrol and diesel, Basic excise duty (BED) and Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) rates have been reduced on them so that overall consumer does not bear any additional burden," the Finance Minister had pointed out in her budget address to the Parliament. 

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'Those who have quit TMC...'

On another front, the TMC supremo alleged that India's first 'paperless budget sold almost every sector'. Her remarks were in reference to the disinvestment plans announced by the Centre on Monday. Banerjee also attacked the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections which are inching closer. In a veiled attack on those who have jumped ships to join BJP ahead of the elections, Mamata Banerjee said that several politicians had exited from the TMC because they knew that they would not be given a ticket to contest the polls. The Bengal CM claimed that she was not going to give them TMC ticket as they had done 'bad work' in the state.

"Those who have quit TMC and joined BJP have done so to secure the money they have accumulated," Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. 

READ | Two-time MLA Dipak Haldar Resigns From TMC Ahead Of West Bengal Polls

Several TMC leaders including bigwigs like Suvendu Adhikari have quit the TMC ahead of Bengal polls leading to a massive hole in the ruling party. On Monday, another MLA Dipak Haldar resigned from the TMC following Rajib Banerjee.  Joining Adhikari were TMC MP Sunil Mondal and nine other sitting MLAs. The second minister to resign from the TMC was Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who wished to quit politics. Meanwhile, the TMC said that those who are leaving do not have a long political history.

READ | PM Modi Lauds 'proactive Budget 2021'; Assures Farmers Saying 'Villages In Budget's Heart'

Finance Minister presents Union Budget

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the first-ever paperless budget in a post-COVID India and based it on six pillars - health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R&D, minimum government, maximum governance. At the start of Union Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman quoted Rabindranath Tagore and said, called the Budget the 'dawn of a new era'. She also hailed the Indian cricket team for their recent Cricket Test series win against Australia. 

READ | Budget 2021: From 6 Pillars To Direct & Indirect Tax, Everything FM Sitharaman Announced