Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Criticizes Union Budget, Calls It “Disappointing” and Politically Driven

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Criticizes Union Budget, Calls It “Disappointing” and Politically Driven

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday sharply criticized the Union Budget, describing it as “disappointing” and alleging it was designed to maintain political power rather than address the needs of the nation. Speaking to reporters after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget in Parliament, Kharge claimed the allocations were aimed at political survival rather than benefiting India’s 140 crore people.

Kharge accused the Budget of neglecting various societal groups, including the middle class, farmers, youth, and marginalized communities such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He alleged the Budget was crafted to appease only a few close associates of the Prime Minister, a fact he claimed would soon be apparent.

Expressing disappointment, Kharge noted the absence of solutions for longstanding farmers’ issues, such as legal guarantees for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and fertiliser subsidies. He also highlighted the lack of provisions for passenger safety and filling vacant positions in the railways, a sector he previously oversaw as Railway Minister.

The Congress President criticized the Budget for not addressing recurring natural disasters, citing recent devastating floods in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra. He questioned the government’s preparedness and special measures taken in response.

Kharge accused the BJP government of neglecting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward classes, suggesting it was a response to their significant support for the opposition in recent elections. He also pointed out the absence of budgetary allocation for a caste census, highlighting the issue of inflation affecting the entire nation and criticizing the Budget for not addressing rising prices.

Regarding social welfare schemes, Kharge contrasted the current government’s record unfavorably with that of the previous UPA government, which implemented initiatives such as MGNREGA, the Food Security Act, the Health Mission, the Right to Education, and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. He questioned whether the BJP government had introduced any comparable schemes over the past decade.

Kharge announced his intention to expose what he described as ten major falsehoods by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he accused of habitual dishonesty.