Union Budget 2026: Rahul Gandhi refuses to comment, Jairam Ramesh calls it 'lacklusture'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Union Budget 2026: Rahul Gandhi refuses to comment, Jairam Ramesh calls it 'lacklusture'")
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Photograph: (ANI)
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has called the budget 2026 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as "lacklusture" and "woefully short of the hype that was generated" around it.
Union Budget 2026-2027 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was welcomed by people and economists around the country, however, the opposition did not look very happy with it as Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition declined to make any immediate comment and stated he would only speak in the parliament on Monday.
"I will speak tomorrow, using the platform provided by Parliament," Rahul Gandhi told reporters after the presentation of the Union Budget 2026 by FM Sitharaman.
While Congress MP Jairam Ramesh was quick to call the budget "lacklusture" and "woefully short of the hype that was generated" around it.
"While the documents need to be studied in detail, it is clear after 90 mins that Budget 2026/27 falls woefully short of the hype that was generated about it. It was totally lacklustre. The speech was also non-transparent since it gave no idea whatsoever of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes," said Ramesh.
Sitharaman lauds economic achievements in budget 2026
Earlier today, during her budget presentation in the parliament, Sitharaman lauded the economic achievements of the NDA government and said India's economic trajectory since 2014 has been marked by stability, fiscal discipline and sustained growth.
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"The reform express is well on its way and will maintain its momentum to help us fulfill our duties. Since we assumed office 12 years ago, the country's economic trajectory has been marked by stability, fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation. This is the result of conscious choices we have made even in times of uncertainty and disruptions," said Sitharaman.
This was Sitharaman's ninth consecutive budget, which is a record. Now she inches closer to presenting the maximum number of budgets (10) held in the name of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram has also presented nine Union budgets (not consecutively), first one being on March 19, 1996, during the United Front government led by Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
