Varanasi, July 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing BJP workers in Varanasi where he initiated the party's membership drive on Saturday, said those opposing the Union Budget of financial year 2019-20 are "professional pessimists". The PM said the aim of such critics is to demoralise the common man.

Modi asked the BJP cadres to explain to the general populace on the ground that India is best poised at this moment to become a $5 trillion economy, while also warning against being misled by the "professional pessimists". Budget 2019: Nirmala Sitharaman Raises Taxes on Super-Rich, Eases FDI to Boost Investment - 10 Points

"Professional pessimists are very different from common people. If you go to a common man with a problem, he will help you find a solution. But if you go to them for a solution, they will turn it into a threat," he added.

The Prime Minister said the country should realise that by reaching the $5 trillion-mark, it would usher into prosperity for each and every resident of the nation including farmers -- doubling whose income by 2022 is the goal of the government.

"We are now looking at farmers are exporters. There is tremendous potential for our farmers to grow exponentially," the PM claimed.

"There is a saying in English, that 'size of the cake matters'... meaning, an individual can get only as big a piece of cake as there is in his/her share... we have increasing India's share to double of what it is, and the benefits of it will reach every Indian," Modi said.

In her maiden Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, she claimed before the Parliament that Indian economy will reach the $3 trillion mark by the end of this fiscal year, and would expand to $5 trillion within the next five years.

The Opposition, however, was left unimpressed and flayed her for not addressing the issue of unemployment, which has peaked to a 45-year high.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2019 02:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).