Mamata slams 'heartless' budget

TT, Calcutta, Feb. 1: Mamata Banerjee today condemned the budget and criticised the Centre, resuming her attack on the Narendra Modi government after weeks of relative lull.

"A controversial Budget 2017, which is clueless, useless, baseless, mission-less and action-less. Heartless," the chief minister tweeted.

"No road map for the country or the future from a government that has lost all its credibility.... Taxpayers still have restrictions on withdrawals. Remove all restrictions immediately. And where are the figures for demonetisation? Misleading. Full of jugglery of numbers and hollow words which mean nothing."

Most Trinamul MPs, who have so far skipped the two-day-old budget session under Mamata's instructions, left for New Delhi this evening to mobilise the Opposition against the government in Parliament from tomorrow.

A Trinamul senior leader said Mamata's tirade was a portent. He said she was preparing for a fresh battle with the BJP and the Centre after the distractions of the Bengal Global Business Summit, her political programmes in the hills, the Bhangar protest and the Republic Day ceremony.

"Modi and (BJP national president) Amit Shah should fear what's coming next," he said.

He dismissed speculation that Mamata had deliberately toned down her attacks on the Centre over the past few weeks following an understanding with the BJP after the CBI arrests in deposit-mobilisation scams.

"She won't back down. She is looking for newer opportunities to embarrass the Centre," he added.

Earlier in the day, Mamata had indicated she favoured a postponement of the budget in honour of E. Ahamed, MP and Indian Union Muslim League chief who died today.

"Controversial budget became even more controversial.... Very sad to see the way E. Ahamedji and family were handled. Condolences to the family of E. Ahamedji," she tweeted.