Congress Slams Union Budget As ‘Totally Lacklustre’, Blind To India’s Real Crises

The Congress on Sunday slammed the Union Budget, calling it “totally lacklustre” and accusing the government of being blind to India’s real economic, social and political crises, with no credible solutions on offer.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Narendra Modi government had exhausted its ideas, alleging that the Budget lacked both policy vision and political will. He said it offered neither solutions nor even slogans to mask what he described as an 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 added.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi termed the Budget as being disconnected from ground realities, pointing to unemployment, a slowdown in manufacturing and distress among farmers.

“Youth without jobs. Falling manufacturing. Investors pulling out capital. Household savings plummeting. Farmers in distress. Looming global shocks - all ignored,” Gandhi said.
“A Budget that refuses course correction, blind to India’s real crises,” he added in a post on X.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh criticised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech as lacking transparency, saying it failed to spell out allocations for key schemes and programmes.

“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.
“The speech was also non-transparent since it gave no idea whatsoever of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes,” he added.

Another Congress general secretary, KC Venugopal, said the Budget did not serve common people and instead favoured large corporations.

“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',” Venugopal said, alleging it was a Budget meant only for crony capitalists.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala described the Budget as lacking both political direction and policy substance.

“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 the “most disappointing”, claiming it had failed farmers, youth and the broader 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 also said farmers were still waiting for meaningful welfare measures or an income security plan. He alleged that inequality had crossed levels seen during the British Raj, yet found no mention in the Budget, nor any support for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and minority communities.

He further said the Finance Commission’s recommendations appeared to offer little relief to financially stressed states, adding that federalism had become a casualty.

Highlighting what he said were major omissions, Kharge pointed to the absence of a revival strategy for manufacturing, asking, “Where is 'Make in India'?” He also flagged the lack of a serious employment plan, questioning the outcomes of previous internship and skill development schemes, and criticised the absence of confidence-boosting measures for private investment.

On infrastructure, he said promises were being repeated without delivery, leaving cities unliveable. On social security, he said there was no substantial announcement and questioned the absence of any allocation for the new law replacing MGNREGA.

In her Budget speech, Sitharaman announced that the capital expenditure target would be raised to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the current fiscal year. She also outlined several measures aimed at boosting infrastructure, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

The Budget was presented amid global uncertainties, ongoing trade frictions and US tariffs.

(with inputs from PTI)