Rajya Sabha MP and AAP Member Raghav Chadha Criticizes Union Budget 2024

Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha has strongly criticized the Union Budget 2024 which was presented by the NDA government. He stated that while Indians are taxed at levels comparable to those in England, the quality of services they receive is similar to those in Somalia.

Chadha expressed his disappointment during the general discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the budget. He stated that the budget did not satisfy any segment of society including BJP supporters. He commented, “Typically budget leaves some people happy and others not. This time, however, the government has managed to displease everyone, even its own supporters.”

He highlighted the heavy tax burden on citizens. He said, “Over the past decade the government has taken approximately 70-80% of people’s income through taxes like Income Tax, GST and Capital Gains Tax. What do we get in return?”

He further questioned about the quality of services offered by the government. He asked, “Despite paying taxes at levels similar to England why are we receiving services akin to those in Somalia?” He inquired “Where is the world-class healthcare, transportation and education?”

Reflecting on BJP’s performance in recent elections Chadha noted, “In 2019 BJP had 303 seats. Due to public dissatisfaction, they effectively lost 18% of those seats. This reduced their count to 240.”

He attributed this decline to economic issues. The primary factors for this decline are related to the state of the economy, including its policies and outcomes.

Chadha pointed out that rural income growth is at a decade-low. Real rural wages have been decreasing for the past 25 months. He also raised concerns about food inflation. Unemployment and per capita income were also highlighted.

Sarcastically, he warned that if these economic trends continue BJP might see an even larger decline in seats. They could potentially fall to 120 seats in future elections.