Rahul Gandhi Slams Union Budget 2026; Claims PM Modi, Nirmala Sitharaman Unaware Of India's Real Problems

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reacted sharply to the Union Budget 2026. Referring to youth, farmers, and investors, he claimed that the Budget 2026 is oblivious to India's real crises. Rahul Gandhi said that the Union Budget 2026 has turned a blind eye to the real challenges facing India.

How did Rahul Gandhi react to Union Budget 2026?

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, posted on the social media platform 'X', "No jobs for the youth, manufacturing is declining, investors are withdrawing capital, domestic savings are falling, farmers are in distress, impending global shocks – all ignored." He claimed that this is a budget that ignores the real crises instead of addressing them.

What did Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announce?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Sunday. She announced that the capital expenditure target will be increased to ₹12.2 lakh crore, up from ₹11.2 lakh crore for the current financial year. She also announced several measures to boost infrastructure in the country.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday outlined three 'duties' that will not only accelerate the economy but also empower the poor, underprivileged, and backward sections of society. Sitharaman said that to fulfill the government's 'resolve' and considering that this is the first budget prepared in the new Parliament building, they are guided by three duties. Nirmala Sitharaman is the first woman Finance Minister of the country to present the budget in Parliament for the ninth consecutive time. The budget is expected to focus heavily on capital expenditure, especially in sectors considered strategically important due to current geopolitical compulsions.

What did Mamata Banerjee say?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday slammed the BJP-led central government and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Union Budget 2026. Mamata Banerjee, the budget, which was announced by the Union Finance Minister om Sunday, will destroy the economic structure of the country.

"It's a 'Humpty-Dumpty Budget', just jugglery of words, it's anti-women, anti-farmer, anti-education. Centre wants to destroy the economic structure of the country," West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee told the media.

What did the Congress say?

The main opposition party, Congress, targeted the Modi government, claiming that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech also lacked transparency as it did not provide information on budgetary allocations for major programs and schemes.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on social media platform 'X' that while a full reading of the (budget-related) documents is still pending, it is clear after 90 minutes (of the speech) that the budget completely failed to meet expectations. It was utterly lackluster and disappointing.

He claimed that the speech was also not transparent, as it did not provide any information about budgetary allocations for major programs and schemes. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said that this budget is not for the common people, but for big corporations.