New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The ruling BJP hailed the Union Budget on Saturday, with Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior party leaders calling it a "blueprint" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make India a developed country.

Presenting the Union Budget for 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a slew of announcements, including exempting an annual income of up to Rs 12 lakh from the income tax, and rejigged tax slabs.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman laid out a blueprint for next-generation reforms, including raising the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector, simplifying tax laws, cutting duties on intermediaries, while providing enhanced fiscal support for welfare measures.

Hailing the budget, Shah said it covers every section, from farmers to the middle class, and every sector, from nutrition and health, startups to innovation and investment.

"Budget 2025 is the blueprint of the Modi government's vision towards building a developed and great India in every field," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

The budget, which covers every sector, from farmers, poor, middle class, women and children's education, nutrition and health to start up, innovation and investment, is the roadmap for "Prime Minister Modi's self-reliant India", Shah said.

"I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for this comprehensive and visionary budget," he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the finance minister for presenting an "excellent and epoch-making budget", which he said was aligned with Modi's vision for a "Viksit Bharat".

"This budget has taken an all-inclusive approach, from empowering poor sections of our society to farmers to MSMEs to industries, and also strengthening research in advanced technologies like artificial intelligence," he said.

Singh further said the budget has taken "special care" of the middle and salaried class.

"I wholeheartedly welcome the decision to provide income-tax relief for annual incomes of up to Rs 12 lakh per annum," he said.

The defence minister said Modi's vision for making India self-reliant in the defence sector has got a "big boost" in the budget.

"Rs 6.81 lakh crore have been allocated for the Ministry of Defence for FY 25-26. The capital outlay of Rs 1.8 lakh crore on defence forces will further help in the modernisation, technological advancement and capabilities of our defence forces," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda hailed the Union Budget as a "visionary roadmap" that embodies the aspirations of 140 crore Indians and lights the way towards Modi's vision for "Viksit Bharat".

"The Union Budget 2025 is a visionary roadmap that embodies the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians, lighting the way towards PM Narendra Modiji's vision of a 'Viksit Bharat,'" he said in a post on X.

By focusing on four engines -- agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), investment and export -- the "Viksit Bharat Budget 2025" will drive the aspirations of the poor, youngsters, farmers and women, ensuring that no one is left behind on the road to progress, Nadda said.

"I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team for the visionary and futuristic, growth-oriented and all-inclusive budget," he added.

Union minister Jitendra Singh said the budget reflected the government's sensitivity.

"Of course, it is a middle class-focussed budget with a lot of tax reliefs," he told PTI in the Parliament complex, when asked for a comment.

However, aspects that are not being discussed now will gradually percolate down in the mind and startle the entire world with some of the futuristic decisions, which were never expected from India, he said.

"One of them is the nuclear-energy mission announced by the finance minister and suggested by the prime minister. The nuclear-energy mission is not only going to add value to India's economy but is also going to give us a lead, ahead of several other countries," the minister said.

"This budget is sensitive and futuristic," he added.

BJP MP and the party's national spokesperson, Sambit Patra, said focused on inclusive development, the budget has laid the groundwork for "continued growth, ensuring a strong, self-reliant and prosperous Viksit Bharat".

With agriculture, MSMEs, investments and exports identified as the four growth engines, the budget will pave the way for bold reforms, innovations led by youngsters, women-led development, benefit farmers and empower all sections of the society, he said.

"Heartfelt gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman for the Viksit Bharat Budget 2025, an ambitious roadmap that will strengthen key sectors of the economy while ensuring prosperity for all, especially the middle class," Patra said in a post on X. PTI PK RC

Income tax relief expands middle class support; budget advances FDI reform, defence modernisation and inclusive growth reforms. The Union Budget 2025-26 is presented as a comprehensive blueprint advancing the Prime Minister's development vision, combining expanded income tax relief and restructured tax slabs with tax simplification, duty reductions, raised FDI limits in the insurance sector, and enhanced fiscal support for welfare and next generation reforms; it prioritises four growth engines-agriculture, MSMEs, investment and exports-while increasing defence capital outlays and advancing a nuclear energy mission to promote modernisation, self reliance and inclusive economic development.