Budget Debate Heats Up: Political Leaders Clash Over Economic Policies

Congress leader Manish Tewari criticizes the budget process as an 'accounting exercise,' while BJP's Deepak Prakash defends it as fulfilling national aspirations. Amid the debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Budget, focusing on growth and empowering the middle class, despite geopolitical challenges dampening global economic momentum.

In a dramatic showdown over economic policies, Congress MP Manish Tewari dismissed the annual Budget as an 'accounting exercise,' drawing sharp criticism from BJP MP Deepak Prakash. Tewari's remarks, likening the Budget to the President's address, were branded 'mentally bankrupt' by Prakash, who emphasized its significance as a symbol of the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.

Tewari, in a post on social platform X, argued that the Budget has become a grandstanding occasion for the Finance Minister rather than a substantive financial statement. Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore called for policy changes to benefit the middle class, criticizing the increasing wealth disparity in the country.

Amidst such debates, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth consecutive Budget in Lok Sabha. The Budget outlined initiatives to bolster economic growth, support industries, enhance household spending power, and anticipate the challenges posed by global geopolitical dynamics. It aims to leverage structural reforms that have made India a major global economic force, sustaining confidence in its growth potential.

(With inputs from agencies.)