It's a Humpty Dumpty Budget, mere 'jugglery of words': Didi

NEW DELHI: Congress led the opposition in slamming the Union Budget as lacking any vision to address the national challenges of growth and unemployment, warning that the economy is in dire straits.

Leader of opposition of Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, "Youth without jobs. Falling manufacturing. Investors pulling out capital. Household savings plummeting. Farmers in distress. Looming global shocks - all ignored. A Budget that refuses course correction, blind to India's real crises."




Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Modi govt has run out of ideas. "Inequality has surpassed the levels seen under the British Raj, but the Budget does not even mention it or provide any support to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and minority communities."

Former FM P Chidambaram said Nirmala Sitharaman did not address any of the challenges mentioned by Economic Survey, like US tariffs creating stress for exporters and its impact on investment, precarious employment situation, especially youth unemployment, trade deficit, reluctance of private sector to invest, low FDI and outflow of FII, divergence between inflation numbers and ground realities, large-scale closure of MSMEs.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav mocked the Budget as a gift for the top 5% population, and bereft of ideas to help the poor and create jobs for youth.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said, "It's a Humpty Dumpty Budget", where the speech's "jugglery of words" and "sound and fury" cannot hide the fact that Bengal did not get anything. "Funds and subsidies for education have declined. There is a decline in subsidies for social security and fertilisers. The economy is totally derailed. The Budget reflects incompetence and is a garbage of lies," she said, adding, "It is directionless, visionless, missionless, and actionless."

CPI (M) said the Budget has again proved that Modi govt is committed to a few big business houses and the wealthy, at the cost of the working people and weaker sections.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said the Budget ignored state, with no assurance for MSP for farmers or jobs for youth.