In latest election pitch, AAP raises 7 demands for Budget

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday unveiled his party's "middle-class manifesto" for next month's Delhi elections in which he did not make any policy promises but listed seven demands for the Centre ahead of the upcoming Union Budget.

- Alok KN Mishra

NEW DELHI:

Kejriwal said that these demands—raising the income tax exemption limit from ₹7 lakh to ₹10 lakh, removing GST on essential commodities, capping private school fees and increasing the education budget from 2% to 10%, introducing subsidies and scholarships for higher education, boosting the health budget to 10% while exempting health insurance from taxation, offering free medical services in both government and private hospitals to seniors, and bringing back the 50% concession on rail travel for those above 60 years of age—were aimed at improving the lives of people from the middle class.

In a digital address, Kejriwal said there was a need to prioritize the middle class in the Union Budget, which will be presented on February 1.

"The middle class is the backbone of this country, yet they have been reduced to the government's ATM. They pay high taxes but get little in return," he said.

Kejriwal complained about what he called "tax terrorism" faced by the middle class, claiming that over 50% of their income is drained by various taxes, including income tax, GST, and property tax.