New Delhi witnessed a fiery critique in the Rajya Sabha as Congress MP Neeraj Dangi from Rajasthan tore into the latest Union Budget. Labeling it the most lackluster and disappointing presentation yet by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Dangi argued that while the budget dazzles with statistics, it fails to illuminate the lives of ordinary Indians.
Dangi highlighted that this marked the ninth time Sitharaman had tabled a budget, but none have matched the hype. Over the past 11 years, numerous promises made in previous budgets remain unfulfilled, and this one merely piles on more vague announcements for the future. The market reaction was swift and brutal: the Sensex plummeted nearly 2,300 points, vaporizing trillions in investor wealth. ‘This budget fell short of investors’ expectations, eroded market confidence, and dashed the common man’s hopes,’ he declared.
The Congress leader accused the Modi government of dodging current crises by pinning solutions on 2047. Failures from 2014 to 2026 have left no viable short-term roadmap, replaced instead by grandiose political fantasies. Youth unemployment, soaring inflation, and income inequality plague the nation, yet the budget offers little beyond rhetoric on startups and skills training.
Dangi questioned the feasibility of job creation through MSMEs, industries, orange economy, animation, and visual effects when the promise of two crore jobs annually for 11 years went unmet. Government recruitments are stalled, contract jobs proliferate, and private sector offers no security. Public capital expenditure is touted as the job engine, but the gap between spending and actual employment generation is glaring.
Around 2.8 crore educated youth remain jobless. Farmers and laborers protest MGNREGA changes nationwide, ignored in the budget. Renaming it ‘Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission’ strips Mahatma Gandhi’s name without embracing Lord Ram’s ideals either, Dangi lamented, underscoring the government’s disconnect from core values.