The Union Budget presented recently by the Finance Minister has been widely criticized by all the disappointed states as a Political Budget, with the sole intention of safeguarding the BJP headed Union Government. A few States commend this budget to save their heads from litigation in connection with several allegations against them. The Union Government is meant for all the States in the country; not for a few who had cast their votes in their favour. If this kind of political vendetta continues, the day of the end of the Fascist rule would not be too far.
The annual budget of a country is not merely a statement of its income and expenditure. Its significance is beyond that as the basic plan of the government for the prosperity of the country. It is a device for productive and constructive changes in the economy of the country.
Long ago the perfect maintenance of law and order alone was considered the objective of a Government. Gradually, the responsibilities as a welfare state increased and schemes for public welfare were focused upon. Adherence to the democratic rubrics were added to the bounden duties of the Union Government.
Later, price control and prevention of inflation acquired attention and levy of taxes was introduced to pave the way for the growth and development of the country. The policies of the government to create job opportunities for the unemployed youth became an effective device to enforce placements to the needy.
Ironically, the present minority Union Government headed by the Prime Minister Modi seems to be standing on artificial replaced legs. The BJP is using the Telugu Desam party and the Janata Dal (U) party of Bihar to support the shaky legs of its chair. In addition, it has taken a few sundry parties too and formed an alliance, through which the chair of the Prime Minister is being prevented from collapsing and crumbling.
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu was quite right when he stated that the Union Government “has used Budget to punish States that had rejected BJP in the recently held General Elections”. According to him the NDA has betrayed not only Tamil Nadu but also the entire country. He ridiculed it saying it is “A to B Budget” – ‘A’ representing Andhra and ‘B’ representing Bihar.
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The leaders of the ruling DMK staged a protest in Chennai against the unjust treatment meted out to Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget. They reiterated that a good Government should work not only for those who have voted for it but also for those who have not. It was pointed out by the leaders that a huge amount has been allocated for Andhra which is about 4 per cent of the total Budget. Parliament member T.R. Balu commented thus: “The money that is to be allocated is not yours; it is the Tax Payers’ money”. The Prime Minister Modi is concerned today mainly with the protection of his artificial legs of support. It is facing a situation like that of the sword of Damocles, we read about in mythology. At any unpredictable moment it may fall.
When Lok Sabha elections were held in several states, Modi hunted votes, promising the grant of special category status to those states. The disappointed States have begun reminding him about his promise, but through the 2024 – 2025 annual Union Budget, he has allocated substantial amounts as financial aid only to a couple of States – Andhra and Bihar – leaving all other states in the lurch. This is obviously his ploy to prevent the collapse of his chair.
He has forgotten his guarantees and promises to the State of Telangana, when he undertook election propaganda tours to that State. In order to defeat the rule of Biju Patnaik in Odisha, he showered a sugar coated promise to grant Odisha the special category status in case the BJP won the election. He has conveniently forgotten his false promise after grabbing the rule in Odisha. Queries are being raised about this deception too, but there is no answer from him.
It is observed as clear as crystal that in the matter of allocation of financial aid, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and West Bengal have been totally betrayed and let down.
We are all aware that the Union Government is a Union of States, according to the First Article in the Constitution, but this is being completely ignored today by the Prime Minister Modi. He has been pouring and pouring favours on the States that supported him and has not offered even a little bit to the States that made his political rivals win. Long ago emperors used to compel rulers of smaller kingdoms to remit taxes. The present day Union Government is behaving likewise partially which is certainly unjust and foul. It is undeniable that the revenue for the coffers of the Union Government accrues only by the shares collected and contributed altogether by all the States in the country. How this truth is not realised by him, seems to be really puzzling.
The G.S.T. collection itself is a striking instance for the contribution of States. The Union Government keeps collecting revenue in the form of direct and indirect taxes. Though the repayment is made with the interest accrued, the entire revenue is actually from the people of the States and from the revenue sources of all the state Governments. Can this ever be denied by the Prime Minister Modi?
People shelved the Government headed by a party branding it as “minority”. Inspite of the dump, if the States ruled by opposition parties are avenged and if the people who did not cast votes in their favour are denied justice, what else could that be, other than political arrogance? Presenting a budget with a partial attitude and denying allocation of funds can only be called unpardonable audacity. How are they able to declare in an uninhibited manner that none of the States has been dropped by the latest budget? The allegations of the deprived States are not outrageous but absolutely justified.
A few sundry parties in Tamil Nadu allied with the BJP, only to face humiliating defeat. They now murmur that a shower of allocations would have poured in if they had won in 25 constituencies. This is sheer political ignorance and failure to understand the Constitution. How can the Union Government become the sole property of the voters who helped it grab power? Openly admitting that they would allocate the tax money of the public according to their whims and fancies, exposes cheap politics. It is a matter of shame that political arena has been converted by these people as a field for bargaining and bartering.
Custodians of a democratic rule cannot gulp the money of the people and belch merrily. It is entirely the tax payers’ money and not even a tiny portion of it belongs to the ruling party. It should be allocated reasonably to all the States.
Under the leadership of the Prime Minister Modi, the parties in his NDA have also begun playing strategic games. Some members of this alliance have pending criminal cases against them. Since they have to continue existing in the alliance, they are now trying to please the Union Government by sabotaging the welfare of Tamil Nadu. These sycophants are now bent upon betrayal by being hand in glove with the Union Government. The coterie is not bothered about the verdict of the people who defeated them. They reveal without any hesitation that they are all anti people. These qualmless people keep babbling, rubbish exposing their own ignorance and arrogance. People would identify soon all such mischief mongers.
The Prime Minister Modi used to refer to Tamil Nadu a million times before the recent elections. As an aid for flood relief he gave nothing to the State he used to glorify once. He has offered eleven thousand crore rupees to the Northern states. Is it not absolute injustice? The political parasites who do not dare question this injustice would certainly be wiped off clean by the people in the future elections. Evil elements are sure to be driven away by the people.
The revolutionary poet Bharatidasan used to say time and again – “Never ever sell yourself.” These people have sold themselves to the buyer called “election”. Many of the NDA Parties are in the grip of fear because they have cases against them pending in several courts. Their guilty conscience has been exposed. They keep flattering the present Union Government to escape from the clutches of law, but crime never pays, as we are all quite aware of. It is unabashed sycophancy.
During the recent Budget session the names of Tamil Nadu and many other States were not mentioned even once. These people do not even understand why we question this gross omission. We get only evasive answers. These people whose mind always operate on the lowest level of intellect, mistake themselves for geniuses. It is surprising how they remain unperturbed even after our people teaching them a hard lesson. Our Chief Minister has decided to boycott the NITI AYOG meet to be held by the Union Government. It is a mark of the protest by the State against the anti poor, anti people Budget and all the unpleasant aspects revolving around it.
Not only the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister of Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal have also boycotted the meet. In a peaceful and non-violent manner, all these states have revealed to the entire world the present Union Government that is anti people bent upon revenge and partiality.
In brief, the recent Budget is in no way intended for salvaging people. It is an unfair, anti poor, anti people, political budget. The rulers have used it as a “FEVICOL” bond to prevent the fall of their shaky chair. If the Union Government headed by Modi continues its activities in the same manner – will the rule last longer? How long can their rule prolong? This is certainly a million dollar question.
