Presentation of budgets over the past seven decades has witnessed economic wisdom, political sarcasm, humour, wit and poetry from the finance minister. This time, a new dimension was added as BJP members burst into chants of “Modi-Modi-Modi” as tax incentives were announced for the middle class.

As finance minister Piyush Goyal said those earning Rs 5 lakh a year need not pay taxes, frenzied thumping of desks started with the Prime Minister himself leading the lusty cheering. Goyal proudly looked at the Opposition benches, giving his colleagues enough time to chant “Modi-Modi-Modi” as the mere sound of wood wasn’t probably having the desired impact.

No other leader has ever evoked such idolatry inside Parliament, not even Indira Gandhi after the triumph against Pakistan in the 1971 war.

On the streets it is common for party functionaries to go overboard while cheering their leaders, but inside Parliament elected representatives have demonstrated greater restraint and maturity.

On Friday, barring a few, every BJP member joined in the “Modi-Modi” chorus that erupted in celebration of the tax announcement even though the extent and scope of the relief was still unclear.

Some in the treasury benches, including ministers, mouthed the oft-repeated dialogue from the film Uri: “How’s the Josh?”

But the chanting of the Prime Minister’s name in Parliament for a tax proposal is not completely a surprise, coming from a government that had organised a midnight celebration in the Central Hall to launch the goods and services tax.

On Friday, Modi himself led the pack in thumping the desk at every stage, whether it was the announcement of sops for farmers or pension for workers in the unorganised sector. His incessant thumping barely stopped during the 125-minute speech of Goyal.

The ecstasy of BJP members was shared by many outside as news of the tax relief spread. Many bureaucrats, security personnel and journalists present on the Parliament premises declared an easy victory for Modi in 2019.

The enthusiasm was shared by central government employees who had not understood then that the tax relief was restricted to those earning up to Rs 5 lakh and its implementation too was dependent on the next government. They celebrated the move and the majority of them appeared to be in sync with those chanting “Modi-Modi”.

Autorickshaw drivers, hawkers and youths were, however, not as enthusiastic. A group of young boys walking around India Gate talked about jobs and insisted that the government should focus on tackling the employment crisis rather than “fooling” the country with freebies. Outside Udyog Bhawan, a group of employees, locked in a fierce debate on the budget, were divided as one of them declared that Dalits and the poor would vote for “change”.

But the government’s soaring confidence was palpable; Modi had always talked of 2022 but Goyal on Friday stretched the line to 2030, spelling out a vision for the next 10 years.

Goyal claimed that the Modi government had reversed policy paralysis and set India solidly on the path of development. In addition to talking about the usual stuff, such as toilets and electricity, he also promised “an India free from terrorism, communalism, casteism, corruption and nepotism” over the next 10 years.

“This is not merely an interim budget, but a medium of the country’s development journey,” he declared, adding: “All the transformation that we are witnessing is because of the passion of the people of our nation. The credit goes to them only.”

Remember, to “them” only. Don’t get misled by the “Modi-Modi” chants.