NEW DELHI, Feb 7: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday alleged that the NDA government has mastered the art of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy elite, with the pattern resembling the “reverse of Robin Hood.”
Participating in a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Banerjee said the government does not believe in economic justice but in economic favouritism.
“There is a pattern with the NDA government… we know the story of Robin Hood — taking from the rich and giving to the poor. The BJP has mastered the art of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy elite. So, it’s reverse Robin Hood.”
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“For instance, the waiving of corporate loans worth thousands of crores using taxpayers’ money, while poor farmers struggling with debts are left to suffer. The government claims to have no money to increase subsidies on essential commodities, yet it slashes corporate tax rates, giving billionaires an even bigger slice of the pie. This is not economic justice. This is economic favouritism at its worst,” Banerjee said.
The MP from Diamond Harbour in West Bengal accused the government of practicing “half federalism,” saying that while Bihar received a bonanza in the Union Budget, Bengal got a blockade.
“Let us talk about ‘Half-Federalism.’ All the members sitting in the house have never heard of this phrase. This is a phrase that I have coined. Why do I say it, I will give you an example to explain it better.
“In Bihar, BJP’s ally JD(U) has 12 seats, which means BJP has 12 MPs in Bihar. In Bengal, the BJP has 12 MPs. BJP is in power in Bihar, but not in Bengal. So, Bihar gets a bonanza and Bengal gets a blockade. This is ‘Half-Federalism’,” he said.
Talking to reporters in the Parliament complex later, Banerjee also slammed the government over the high taxes.
“Everything has a GST. Be it on wheat, rice or any other amenity, people have to pay GST. On top of that, we also have to pay excise duty, toll tax, and others which will sum up to over Rs 2 lakh,” he said. (PTI)
