Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of having "run out of ideas," slamming the Union Budget 2026-27 for lacking any policy vision, political wil.
The Budget fails to offer a single solution to India's core challenges, including unemployment, youth job crisis, inflation, rural distress, farmer welfare, rising inequality.
Kharge highlighted neglect of key sectors like manufacturing, private investment, infrastructure relief for stressed states, and federalism, warning that superficial measures ignore structural issues
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge launched a blistering attack on the Union Budget 2026-27 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, branding it as devoid of any fresh thinking, policy direction or meaningful remedies for India's mounting economic and social woes.
In a sharp post on X shortly after the Budget speech, Kharge declared that the Narendra Modi-led government has "run out of ideas" and accused the Budget of failing to deliver even a single concrete solution to the country's pressing challenges — from rampant unemployment and youth joblessness to inflation, declining consumer demand, rising public debt, rural distress, and inequality that he claimed has now surpassed levels seen during the British Raj.
"The Modi Government has run out of ideas. #Budget2026 does not provide a single solution to India's many economic, social, and political challenges," Kharge wrote. He lamented the absence of structural reforms, political will, or even clever slogans to mask the policy vacuum: "This Budget offers no solutions, not even slogans to hide the absence of policy!"
Kharge was particularly scathing about the government's handling of key sectors: farmers ("Our Annadata still await meaningful welfare support or an income security plan"), the poor and marginalised ("offers nothing for the poor"), manufacturing and private investment (no incentives or push), infrastructure (states under fiscal stress get no real relief), social security (ignored amid rising vulnerabilities), and federalism (rendered a "casualty" with no support for cash-strapped states).
He mocked the government's much-hyped initiatives, quipping: "'Mission Mode' is now 'Challenge Route'. 'Reform Express' rarely stops at any 'Reform' Junction. Net result: NO policy vision, NO political will."
