'Very disappointing', says Shashi Tharoor; 'bilkul time waste', says Ashneer Grover as politicians and public react sharply to Budget 2026-27

The Union Budget 2026–27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday drew sharp criticism from Opposition parties, which described it as "deeply disappointing" and claimed it fails to bring relief or happiness to the lives of ordinary people, farmers, unemployed youth and several states.

As Sitharaman presented her ninth budget in Parliament, Opposition leaders from Congress, AAP, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the government of neglecting pressing economic issues while favouring select corporate interests and poll-bound states.

Interacting with reporters, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said Kerala found no mention in the budget speech. "This is somewhat disappointing. However, perhaps the details will be in the budget documents. We have only heard the speech so far, which contains very few necessary details," he said.

Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh termed the budget uninspiring, alleging neglect of farmers, unemployed youth and large states like Uttar Pradesh. "Prayagraj needed a refinery and an AIIMS, but there was no mention. Most schemes appear directed towards election-bound states," he said.

Congress leader Harish Rawat said the Budget was burdened by lofty rhetoric. "There is nothing in it for the poor, for farmers or for women. It seems buried under the vision of developed India by 2047," he remarked.

Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather said Kerala had once again been ignored. "We expected high-speed rail projects or specific initiatives, but there was nothing — not even a political gesture," she said.

Congress MP Shashikant Senthil said the budget lacked any major policy direction. "There is nothing substantial for common citizens, farmers or MSMEs, except minor customs-related tweaks," he said.

Former Union Minister Manish Tewari raised concerns over structural weaknesses in the economy. "Nominal GDP growth has been declining, tax buoyancy is weak, private investment is not picking up, and FDI is falling. Increasing public capex again indicates deeper problems," he said.

Congress MP Imran Masood described the budget as empty, saying exporters in regions like Moradabad and Saharanpur have received no relief despite collapsing exports and rising tariff barriers.

AAP MP Malwinder Singh Kang said Punjab and Haryana were ignored. "There is no relief from inflation. Tourism and expressway projects have bypassed Punjab," he said.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Kumar Rai termed the budget confusing and corporate-centric. "It feels like it was prepared for a few select corporate houses," he said. Party MP Neeraj Kushwaha Maurya added that farmers, MGNREGA and large states like Uttar Pradesh were overlooked.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she expected stronger leadership amid global turbulence. "There is nothing for exporters, importers or common people. If this were visionary, markets would not have reacted negatively," she said.

Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey said the budget failed to inspire confidence. "There is no tax relief, no focus on employment or startups. It was a repetition of the same script," he said.

Adding to the criticism, former BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover called the budget a "complete waste of time." Posting on X, he wrote, "Bilkul time waste kiya — apna bhi aur humara bhi," echoing broader frustration among sections of market participants.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram launched a scathing attack, saying the budget "failed the test of economic strategy and economic statesmanship" and ignored key challenges flagged in the Economic Survey 2025–26.

In a detailed statement, Chidambaram said the budget relied on acronyms and new schemes while sidestepping core issues such as penal US tariffs affecting exporters, widening trade deficit with China, weak private investment, declining FDI inflows, persistent fiscal deficits and rising household expenses.

He pointed to underperformance in 2025–26 finances, with revenue receipts falling short by Rs 78,086 crore and capital expenditure by Rs 1.44 lakh crore. He noted that Centre's capex as a share of GDP declined from 3.2 per cent to 3.1 per cent, with no explanation.

Chidambaram also highlighted sharp cuts in allocations affecting common people — rural development, urban development, agriculture, education, health and social welfare — and questioned the credibility of the sharp reduction and subsequent restoration of funds for the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Criticising fiscal parameters, he said the marginal reduction in fiscal deficit lacked bold consolidation, while the proliferation of new schemes — at least 24 by his count — would likely be forgotten by the next budget.

Concluding his critique, Chidambaram said the budget prioritised superficial announcements over meaningful solutions to India's structural economic challenges and the needs of ordinary citizens.