Congress Urges for Second-Generation Reforms Amid Critique of Union Budget

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge hails the 1991 Liberalisation Budget, advocating for significant reforms to aid the middle class and underprivileged. Several Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh, criticize the recent Union Budget, stressing the need for timely Censuses and inclusive economic measures.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has emphasized the need for a budget that addresses the needs of the middle class and the underprivileged. Kharge praised the 1991 budget presented by former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, noting that it spurred India's growth trajectory. 'July 1991 marked a watershed moment in India's history, as the Liberalisation Budget, spearheaded by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, ushered in a new era of economic reforms,' Kharge wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Kharge further stressed the importance of these reforms in today's context. 'Today, once again, there is a pressing need for meaningful, robust second-generation reforms which help both the middle class and the deprived,' he stated. This comes in the wake of several opposition parties claiming that the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was 'discriminatory'. The INDIA bloc MPs plan to hold a protest in the Parliament against the Union Budget.

In addition, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders have voiced their disappointment with the budget, accusing the Finance Minister of making hollow promises. 'Kursi Bachao Budget. Appease Allies: Hollow promises to them at the cost of other states,' Gandhi tweeted. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the government's delay in conducting the decadal Population Census, stating that it has serious administrative consequences.

(With inputs from agencies.)