New Delhi, Feb 2: Opposition leaders, led by the Congress, criticised the Union Budget 2026‑27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling it “lacklustre,” “disappointing,” and “blind to India’s real crises.” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Budget showed no clear policy vision or political will and failed to address major economic, social, and political challenges facing the country.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi echoed these concerns, asserting that the Budget ignored key issues such as youth unemployment, a slowdown in manufacturing, distress among farmers, and falling household savings. He described it as refusing to undertake necessary course correction on pressing problems.
Senior Congress leaders also criticised the Finance Minister’s speech for lacking transparency on allocations for major schemes, saying it left citizens and experts unclear about funding priorities. Some party officials labelled the Budget as favouring large corporations over ordinary people and lacking substantial welfare measures.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor used a cricket analogy to describe the Budget, suggesting it “missed the ball” by focusing on broad headings without detailed policies or concrete action plans. Other regional opposition figures, including in states like Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, echoed similar sentiments of disappointment, pointing to perceived neglect of sectoral needs and local issues.