‘What happens if…’: Shashi Tharoor takes a dig at FM Nirmala Sitharaman income tax exemption announcement

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday took a dig at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after the later, in her budget speech’ announced that those earning annual income up to Rs 12 lakh won’t have to income tax. Reacting to the announcement Tharoor said that for the income tax exemption, there has to be an income source as well.

Pointing out that for the benefit of income tax one would actually need jobs, he added that it is ironic that the government was announcing freebies based on state elections. The former Union Minister also observed that unemployment was not mentioned in the Finance Minister’s speech.

#WATCH | On #UnionBudget2025, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “I think frankly the applause you heard from the BJP benches was for the middle-class tax cut. We look at the details and that may be a good thing. So if you have a salary you may be paying less tax. But the important… pic.twitter.com/LTGA1AI8d4

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2025

‘From where is income going to come?’

“I think, frankly, the applause you heard from the BJP benches was for the middle-class tax cut. We look at the details and that may be a good thing. So if you have a salary, you may be paying less tax. But the important question is, what happens if we don’t have a salary?”, Tharoor asked while speaking to ANI.

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He added, “Where is the income going to come from? For you to benefit from income tax relief, you need jobs. Unemployment was not mentioned by the Finance Minister. Ironic that the party that wants one nation, one election is using each election in each state each year to give them more freebies. They may as well have multiple elections so they can get more applause from their allies.”

FM announces income tax benefits for those earning up to Rs 12 lakh per annum

Announcing the income tax rebate for those earning less than Rs 12 lakh per annum, Sitharaman had said in her budget speech, “The new structure will substantially reduce taxes on the middle class and leave more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment.”