The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman “virtually adopted” portions of its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election by announcing an internship programme and employment-linked incentives and by abolishing the Angel Tax.

Sitharaman announced that the government will launch a scheme to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in 500 top companies over five years.

“The Finance Minister has taken a leaf out of the INC’s Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship program clearly modelled on the INC’s proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki [first job guaranteed],” Ramesh said in a post on X.

However, the Opposition leader alleged that in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “trademark style”, the scheme has been designed to grab headlines.

The Congress had promised in its manifesto that if it comes to power it will bring in a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25.

On Tuesday, Ramesh also accused the Centre of copying Congress’ promise of abolishing the Angel Tax, and adopting its Employment-linked Incentives programme. Angel Tax is part of the income tax that is levied when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value.

The tax was implemented in 2012 as a measure to curb money-laundering and prevent the influx of unaccounted funds. However, startups and investors had claimed that it stifled fundraising and innovation.

Sitharaman on Tuesday announced that the Centre will provide a month’s wage to employees entering the workforce in formal sectors. She added that this would be done through the direct benefit transfer of one month’s salary in three instalments to first-time employees registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.

She claimed that the scheme will benefit 210 lakh youths.

However, Ramesh said that the scheme misinterprets the problems faced by the country.

“India’s key challenge is the lack of availability of jobs,” the Opposition MP said. “This scheme rewards those who are already lucky enough to get formal jobs. The job-seekers who are unable to find employment – who are in much larger numbers and more urgently in need of aid – find no mention.”

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the Budget as an attempt by the government to save itself.

In an apparent reference to businessmen Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, Gandhi characterised the Budget that extended “benefits to AA with no relief for the common Indian.”

The Congress also alleged that the Centre made “hollow promises” to its regional allies at the cost of other states.

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram claimed that the Budget has “virtually adopted” the employment-linked incentive and the apprenticeship scheme from his party’s manifesto. He added that he wished that the finance minister had “copied” certain other ideas from the manifesto.

Other Opposition leaders said that the Union Budget was an attempt to appease and bribe the Bharatiya Janata Party’s coalition partners in the National Democratic Alliance, with the help of whom it came to power after the Lok Sabha elections this year.

As part of the Budget, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced financial support and several infrastructure projects for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

The BJP formed the government at the Centre with the help of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) and Andhra Pradesh’s Telugu Desam Party, among other members of its National Democratic Alliance, after having fallen short of the majority mark in the polls.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray asked why the BJP “hated” Maharashtra and claimed that the Centre was biased against the state even though it was the largest taxpayer.

“I can understand the BJP wanting to save its government and giving Bihar and Andhra Pradesh a huge sum of the budget,” he said in a post on social media. “But what is Maharashtra’s fault? Was Maharashtra even mentioned once in the Budget?”

Thackeray claimed the Budget’s promises to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar were not for the people of the two states. “It’s the favoured contractors who will get the money,” he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee described the Budget as “totally directionless” and “anti-people”.

The chief minister called the Budget a political mission of the BJP.

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