EXCLUSIVE/ Union Min Hardeep Singh Puri Calls Budget 'Very Positive,' Says BJP Always Learning From Mistakes

New Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in an exclusive interaction with Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Tuesday called the budget 'very positive.'

Puri shared his views on the Union Budget 2024 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.

Appeasement Politics By The BJP?

Puri refuted the allegations of the BJP-led Centre resorting to appeasement politics by giving a 'lion's share' to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in the budget and being 'unfair' to Maharashtra.

Puri said, "Not correct to say Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have taken a lion's share in the budget. All the central schemes are equally available to all the states. It just so happened that there was a mention in the context of something that we're doing for the Eastern states."

Puri told Arnab, "In the case of Bihar, there was a lot of devastation due to floods. The origin of the problem might lie outside the state, in Nepal... There is some assistance that we've given. We're doing things for every state."

Flood Relief Package Extended To All Affected States Equally?

When Arnab asked Puri if the Centre would be questioned as to whether the economic rationale behind providing aid for majorly BJP-ruled flood-affected states was political, the latter said, "I'm not in a position to say where floods will come from. We're looking at Eastern states, Himachal Pradesh, etc., so I don't think the argument can be stretched."

Puri On Whether Centre Let Middle-Class Down With Budget

When asked if the BJP, post the setback in the Lok Sabha polls, would do more for its core vote back - the middle class - and whether it let them down, Puri said, "Not sure the results of the Lok Sabha polls can be called a 'setback' for the BJP whether you look at it in a global or Indian context. Here we are an Opposition party full of 'josh.' Their numbers of three terms put together don't reach 200. Relatively yes, if we were expecting over 300 and we got 292 in a pre-poll alliance with our alliance partners, you can say it's a little different but it's not a setback."

'Fiscal-Hawkish Approach' By The BJP-Led Centre?

Speaking of the 'fiscal-hawkish approach' that might please the FDI but the voters might not like it, Puri said, So far, if the middle class is concerned, every budget I hear the limit of seven lakhs should be made Rs 15 lakhs...Look at the fact that the middle class is getting one crore houses, to name a few. For Rural development, we gave Rs 2.66 crore, for women-led development we gave Rs 3 lakh crore and 4. 1 crore youngsters get jobs in five years. The middle class has to be looked at in that context.

'I'm a Middle Class And Will Always Remain One...'

Yes, I'm a product of the middle class and will always remain one. An individual gets up to Rs 17,500 as relief; you can argue that's not more but maybe in the coming years, we will get more relief."

'BJP One Party Always Learning From Mistakes...'

Puri said, "We're one party that is always learning from its mistakes and I'm reasonably confident that the mistakes that we made in 2024, whatever they are....There may come sometimes when parties grow too quickly, there are other fault lines. When Maharashtra is concerned, please look at what we have done for the state or other states. I'll be very happy when this 'budget pe charcha' ends, I'll sit down with you and give you the values of the Central schemes for each of the states."

'Very Positive Budget'

He further added, “If Mr Rahul Gandhi is speaking on it, ask him if was Congress, not a signatory to the State's Reorganisation Act of 2012. They were obliged to do certain things. Some of those things were happening in those contexts...when there are floods outside Bihar say in Nepal, we'll help them. It's a very positive budget. If you don't have a budget like this and you go for economic profligacy, then you can't hold your own...for Foreign Direct Investment during global uncertainty and turbulence.”

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