SP, BSP describe Budget 2013 as 'anti-poor', Mulayam vows to oppose it in Parliament

New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, outside supporters of the UPA government, on Thursday slammed the Union Budget, describing it as "anti-farmer, anti-worker and anti-poor" with Mulayam Singh Yadav vowing to oppose it in Parliament. "This budget has completely ignored the farmers. It is only meant for 10 per cent population, while the interests of 65 per cent engaged in farming have been ignored. The SP will oppose the Budget in Parliament," Yadav told reporters outside Parliament.

Yadav, however, remained non-committal on what would be the manner in which his party would oppose the Budget or whether SP will vote against the Finance Bill, saying, "That will be decided by the party." BSP chief Mayawati said that the Budget was drafted to "confuse" the common man and there was nothing new in it. All announcements made seem "lofty" and "in the air", she said. "There is nothing new in this Budget and neither anything for farmers, employees and the middle class," she said, adding that the policies of the central government are not in the interest of the common man and are "anti-people".

The SP chief questioned the government as to "for whom it is making the Budget if it is offering nothing for the poor, the farmers and the workers". He said that the country would have developed long back had Congress been giving good Budgets. "The Budget will not lead to growth. Only those 10 per cent rich people will grow," he said.

Mayawati said despite large allocations for the SCs/STs in every Budget, the money has not helped improve the plight of people from lower castes. Asked if Finance Minister P Chidambaram had passed the test, she said, "Had he done so, I would not be standing here to criticise it".