Introducing: ‘Modi-Modi-Modi’ budget chorus – By Sanjay K. Jha
Presentation of budgets over the past seven decades has witnessed economic wisdom, political sarcasm, humour, wit and poetry from the finance minister. This time, a new dimension was added as BJP members burst into chants of “Modi-Modi-Modi” as tax incentives were announced for the middle class.
As finance minister Piyush Goyal said those earning Rs 5 lakh a year need not pay taxes, frenzied thumping of desks started with the Prime Minister himself leading the lusty cheering. Goyal proudly looked at the Opposition benches, giving his colleagues enough time to chant “Modi-Modi-Modi” as the mere sound of wood wasn’t probably having the desired impact.
No other leader has ever evoked such idolatry inside Parliament, not even Indira Gandhi after the triumph against Pakistan in the 1971 war. On the streets it is common for party functionaries to go overboard while cheering their leaders, but inside Parliament elected representatives have demonstrated greater restraint and maturity. On Friday, barring a few, every BJP member joined in the “Modi-Modi” chorus that erupted in celebration of the tax announcement even though the extent and scope of the relief was still unclear.…
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/introducing-modi-modi-modi-budget-chorus/cid/1683469
SEE ALSO:
- Will the Budget’s Charm Offensive Quell Distress Before the General Elections? – By Arun Kumar (Feb 2, 2019, The Wire)
https://thewire.in/economy/budget-2019-charm-offensive-distress-general-elections - Will the budget actually benefit farmers? – By Jayati Ghosh (Feb 2, 2019, The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/budget-2019-shows-bjp-government-s-reliance-on-jumlas-and-optics-with-questionable-benefits-to-farmers/cid/1683396 - Interim Budget 2019: Farm pension: just a drizzle in drought? – By Priscilla Jebaraj (Feb 1, 2019, The Hindu)
https://www.thehindu.com/business/budget/farm-pension-just-a-drizzle-in-drought/article26155194.ece - Budget reinvents meaning of interim with tax and farm sops – By Jayanta Roy Chowdhury and R. Suryamurthy (Feb 2, 2019, The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/interim-budget-or-daylight-bribery/cid/1683477
