Congress MP Shashi Tharoor accuses govt of depriving MSMEs of any support during demonetisation & pandemic

New Delhi, Feb 8 (KNN) The government failed in providing urgent life support to the MSME sector as they faced the brunt of demonetisation and then the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 lockdown, said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the Lok Sabha. 

“At least an exemption slab of Rs 5 lakh on income tax should have been provided to help the middle class,” he added. 

He further criticised the union budget 2022-23 of letting down people’s expectations with regards to the challenges everyone face due to the pandemic.

In view of the absence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he protested and staged a walkout from Lok Sabha. 

He further said that the government has failed in acknowledging unemployment issues while the wealth of 100 richest persons hit a record high of about Rs 57 lakh crore, and about 4.7 crore people slipped below the poverty line. 

“In all of this the middle class has been left defenceless in the face of rising inflation,” he stated. (KNN Bureau)