Budget lacklustre, disappointing, blind to India's real crises: Cong

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Budget was blind to Indias real crises, and highlighted how the youth were without jobs, manufacturing was falling and farmers were in distress.

The Congress on Sunday described the Union Budget as ''totally lacklustre'' and blind to India's real crises, saying it did not offer any solution to the country's economic, social and political challenges. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Narendra Modi government had run out of ideas as there was no policy vision or political will, and the Budget provided no solutions or even slogans to paper over the absence of substance. ''The Modi Government has run out of ideas. Budget 2026 does not provide a single solution to India's many economic, social, and political challenges. '''Mission Mode' is now 'Challenge Route'. Reform Express rarely stops at any ''Reform'' Junction. Net result: no policy vision, no political will,'' Kharge said in a social media post. ''This Budget offers no solutions, not even slogans to hide the absence of policy!,'' the Congress chief said. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the Budget was ''blind to India's real crises'', and highlighted how the youth were without jobs, manufacturing was falling and farmers were in distress. ''Youth without jobs. Falling manufacturing. Investors pulling out capital. Household savings plummeting. Farmers in distress. Looming global shocks - all ignored,'' the Congress leader said. ''A Budget that refuses course correction, blind to India's real crises,'' Gandhi said in a post on X. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the speech by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was ''non-transparent'' as it gave no idea of the budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes. ''While the documents need to be studied in detail, it is clear after 90 minutes that Budget 2026/27 falls woefully short of the hype that was generated about it. It was totally lacklustre,'' Ramesh said in a post on X. ''The speech was also non-transparent since it gave no idea whatsoever of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes,'' he said. Another Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the Budget was not for common people, but for large corporations and wondered how people could welcome it as there was nothing in it. ''How can people welcome this Budget, there is nothing in it. It is completely hollow,'' he said. ''A listless, heartless budget from a clueless government. What began last session with the axing of MGNREGA has gone forward with massive welfare cuts in the name of 'fiscal discipline','' he said on X, alleging that it was a Budget for nobody except crony capitalists. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala termed the Budget as ''politically directionless'' and ''policy-wise bankrupt''. ''Technical Mumbo Jumbo, Zero Substance! Lots of Committees, Zero Deliverables!. Not a word for farmers. Not a word for Unemployed Youth. Not a word for labour. Not a word for SC, ST, OBC's. Not a word for workers. Not a word for social sectors. Not a word for Opposition ruled states. Reform Express derailed even before leaving the station,'' he said. Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said the Budget was ''most disappointing'' as it offered nothing to the farmers, youth or the country's economy. ''The faces of the ruling party show that there cannot be a more disappointing budget than this, which has cheated people... it is the most disappointing. It offers nothing for the farmers, for providing employment to the youth and for the country's economy... It is one which has cheated people and given disappointment to the country,'' he told reporters. Kharge said farmers still awaited meaningful welfare support or an income security plan. ''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. ''The Finance Commission's recommendations will have to be studied more, but they do not appear to provide any relief to State Governments which are under severe financial stress. Federalism has become a casualty,'' he said. Highlighting what was missing, the Congress chief said there was no revival strategy for manufacturing, and asked, ''Where is 'Make in India'?'' ''Jobs: no serious plan for employability for our Youth or increasing participation of women in workforce. What is the outcome of earlier internship and skill development schemes? ''Private investment: no confidence signal - FDI and wage stagnation ignored. Why only minor adjustments, no structural reforms? Infrastructure: promises repeated, delivery missing-cities still unliveable. ''Social Security: There was not a single substantial announcement on social security and welfare. There is not one word on the allocation for the new law that has replaced MGNREGA. Why?'' he said. In her speech, Sitharaman announced that the target for capex will be raised to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27 from the Rs 11.2 lakh crore earmarked for the current fiscal year. She announced a slew of measures to boost infrastructure in the country, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The Budget came against a backdrop of global uncertainties, trade frictions and US tariffs.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)