Bengaluru, Feb 1 (IANS): The Karnataka Congress slammed the Union budget presented on Tuesday and dubbed it as a zero budget. State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar charged that "There isn't even any mention about the state in the union budget. Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman should have had the gratitude towards MLAs of the state who elected her as MP."

Shivakumar stated sarcastically, "I congratulate 25 MPs of our state and also our CM. The union government has rained sops and funds on Karnataka. The state has a big zero in all sectors. There is no reference to the state in the central budget," he said.

"Nirmala Sitharaman got elected by MLAs of the state. I thought she would have some gratitude. This is not a central budget, it is a Covid budget. Like how we are all suffering Covid, the budget is also suffering to address issues," he chided.

"They are going to legalize crypto currency through taxing. I don't know how they are going to do it. The BJP has promised generation of 2 crore jobs. They have decreased it to 60 lakh. The government has agreed that they are ready to cheat 1.40 crore youths," Shivakumar said.

"Not a single relief is being given to Corona hit people, businessmen, farmers who incurred losses. There is no relief for the salaried class, no relief for the self-employed, no relief for employees, employers. I have been in politics for 40 years, I have not seen such a disappointing budget," he said. The budget favours the corporate lobby. The common man is the loser, he added.

"After all it is a profit oriented government, issuing loans is not called support. The central government has announced the digital university. The state has an IT-BT industry. The land could also be promised to let CM Bommai bring this project to the state," he said.