India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds up a folder with the Government of India's logo in New Delhi. File/Reuters

While the farmers, textile sector, gold sellers and buyers, industrialists, bankers, etc. hail the Union Budget presented by Smt. Nirmala Seetharaman, as usual it is nothing but brickbats by the opposition leaders.

Ironically, while the Congress leaders criticise BJP as a copycat of their manifesto, still, they criticise the Union Budget presented by the BJP. In fact, even the salaried class has welcomed the new IT slab and the increase in standard deduction. At the same time, it is a big ZERO benefit for senior and super senior citizens, who were getting a benefit of Rs.1.5 lakhs to Rs.2 lakhs, which is denied in the new slab system.

Everyone is enjoying tax relief up to Rs7.5 lakhs, which is a real blow to the senior citizens, who still are the backbone of the Indian economy, even after the age of 80, as still we are forced to pay income tax. We feel we will be taxed till our death.

Capt. N. Viswanathan,

Coimbatore, India