Jaitley's Budget has 'something for everyone': Yashwant Sinha

Expressing his satisfaction towards the General Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday dubbed the budget as 'progressive' and 'visionary', adding that there was 'something for everyone' in it.

"This budget has clearly passed and if you look carefully, the Finance Minister has managed to comprehensively include all the aspects which were necessary keeping the current economic situation in mind. I have no doubts that when people see and understand the budget then they will discover that there is something for everyone in all aspects," Sinha told ANI here.

Lauding the stress given on rural development in the Budget, the former finance minister said the corporate sector also stands to gain immensely from it.

He stated that the overall philosophy of the Budget indicated that a little extra is being taken from the very rich so that it can be given to the poor as relief.

"The fact that the dividend tax is applicable on those who earn more than 10 lakh is very good. The Budget has maintained the fiscal discipline and I am very happy with it," Sinha said.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA Government lauded the General Budget, calling it a 'perfect progressive budget'.

"This is a perfect people's budget. It is full of development and faith. This budget is to strengthen the youth and the farmers. It is a perfect progressive budget. It has stood up to the people's expectations," Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the media here.

However, the Congress gave thumbs down to the Budget saying it was 'high on rhetoric' and lacked any imagination.

"The budget presented by the finance minister is high on rhetoric, flawed on comparisons. It is bereft on any ideas, it lacks imagination, it helps the oligarics, it constrains the freedom of the central bank and in totality it is a dead scud," Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI.

Earlier today, Jaitley presenting the Budget for the next fiscal in the Parliament listed out the nine priority areas for the government: farmer welfare, rural sector, social sector, education skills, infrastructure, financial reforms, ease of doing business, fiscal discipline and tax reform that will transform the country.