Interim budget an 'explosion of jumlas': AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday said that the BJP government's interim Budget is nothing but an 'explosion of jumlas', asking why did they present this "trailer" budget when they were sleeping through their five-year term.

"They (BJP) were sleeping throughout their five-year term, now when their term is ending, they are saying that the budget is a trailer? This is just an explosion of 'jumlas'. Who will believe that a government, who didn't do anything for five years, will announce so many schemes and get everything done in three months?"

He said that they are implementing every policy which they opposed when they were in the opposition.

"This is the government which was opposed to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), now they have brought in 100 per cent FDI in the retail sector, they have brought in FDI in the Defence sector. They were opposed to GST, now they have implemented GST; they protested against petrol, diesel prices; whatever they previously opposed, they implemented the same," Sanjay said.

He further said that moves like the demonetisation crippled the economy and led to over 1.1 crore people losing their jobs. "Today unemployment is the highest in 45 years, this government doesn't have the moral right to talk about these things, because they didn't do anything for five years," Sanjay said.

The AAP spokesperson criticised the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, entailing the payment of Rs 6000 per annum to farmers, which boils down to Rs 17 per day, questioning how it will help farmers live with dignity when a bottle of water costs Rs 20.

"Can they even buy seeds, manure? Farmers demanded the price of crops to be increased, they didn't beg for money. They (BJP) have given loans to some industrialists worth lakhs of crores of rupees, and to the farmers, who give us food, they gave a mere Rs 17. Isn't it a joke?" Sanjay said.

He also tore into the "surgical strike" term given to the budget by some BJP leaders, saying, "Surgical strikes were conducted in Pakistan, this is India! Are you going to conduct surgical strikes in India as well?"

The AAP leader said that people have lost their faith in the EVMs, confirming that opposition parties will meet the Election Commission of India to raise the issue.

"When we ask Election Commission to match the EVM and VVPAT numbers, they don't do it. Why are they not ready to conduct elections on ballot paper? All first world countries have given up EVMs. If Narendra Modi is so popular that the BJP will win 540 out of the 543 seats, then why do they have a problem in contesting the election on ballot paper?" Sanjay said.