Congress Slams 'Viksit Bharat by 2047' as BJP Jumla

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Asserting that 'Viksit Bharat by 2047' is a 'BJP jumla', Congress leader Amitabh Dubey on Saturday said the ruling party is lying to the people about making the country developed by 2047 as their policies are misplaced and until they change course that is going to remain a "pipe dream".

Dubey, who is in charge of research and monitoring in the AICC communications department, also said the government's announcement that individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually will not have to pay any income tax under the new tax regime would benefit only the top 25 per cent of the middle class.

"We need to grow at 8-9 per cent to become Viksit Bharat and we are far from doing that. Manufacturing has slowed, exports have slowed, these are the sectors that generate jobs. What does the Budget do for this," he told PTI.

Noting that the headline move of the Budget is an income tax cut, Dubey said it sounds like a very good idea that could boost consumption which is at the lower end of the pyramid but it helps only the top 25 per cent of the middle class.

"Now only 2.24 crore Indians paid income tax in 2022-23 which is the top 25 per cent of the middle class but the bottom three-quarters of the middle class don't pay income tax. It doesn't help them at all," he said.

"The poorer people pay GST, they don't pay income tax, so this income tax cut is a sop to the wealthiest part of the middle class, it has nothing for the broader public and therefore, it is part of the same bankrupt thinking that led to the corporate tax cuts for the biggest firms which neither raised jobs nor raised investments," the Congress leader said.

"It is yet another example of bankrupt thinking and pro-rich policies that are not going to solve the problems we are facing right now," he said.

Basically, the BJP is trying to go for a big headline that will convince voters of a Rs one lakh crore tax cut but remember this one lakh crore is only for the top end of the middle class, the Congress leader said.

Asked about the government's assertion of working towards 'Viksit Bharat by 2047, Dubey said, "Viksit Bharat is a distraction. First, they promised that India would be developed by 2022, we are in 2025, and that is far from a reality. They moved the goalpost to 2047. Unfortunately, given the rate at which we are growing today it is much below where we need to be," he said.

"Viksit Bharat by 2047 is a jumla. We all want Viksit Bharat by 2047 but they are lying to the people, their policies are misplaced and until they change course that is going to remain a pipe dream," Dubey said.