Union Budget 2026 draws sharp political divide: PM Modi praises growth push, Opposition slams priorities

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget on Sunday, political reactions quickly followed, reflecting sharp contrasts between the ruling dispensation’s optimism and the Opposition’s criticism.

PM Modi pitches Budget as roadmap for global role

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Budget as a step towards strengthening India’s global standing. He said, “This Budget further strengthens India's global role. The 140 crore citizens of India are satisfied with not just being the fastest-growing economy, but we also want to be the third-largest global economy at the earliest. This is the resolve of crores of citizens of the country.”

Modi underlined India’s expanding role as a “trusted, democratic partner” and a reliable global supplier, adding that the “benefit of trade deals recently signed by India - Mother of All Deals, should go to the youth of India, to the small and medium scale industries of India. In this direction, major steps have been taken in the Budget.”

Also Read | 'Whole mood of February depends on only one woman': Netizens go live with memes on social media even before FM's Budget presentation

Highlighting infrastructure measures, the Prime Minister pointed to “dedicated freight corridor, expansion of waterways across the country, high-speed rail corridor, special focus on the development of tier-2 and tier-3 cities and push to municipal bonds to provide a strong economic foundation to cities: all these measures will further increase the speed of Viksit Bharat."

Rahul Gandhi calls Budget 'blind to crises'

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the Budget in a post on X, alleging it ignored key challenges. He wrote, “Youth without jobs. Falling manufacturing. Investors pulling out capital. Household savings plummeting. Farmers in distress. Looming global shocks - all ignored. A Budget that refuses course correction, blind to India’s real crises.”

Tharoor flags missing details, Kerala focus

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed disappointment over the lack of specifics in the Budget speech. He said, “There were 3-4 headlines, but we were waiting for the All India Institute of Ayurveda. Where is it? We wanted this in Kerala. We have had a long tradition of Ayurveda. But we didn't hear Kerala's name. We heard the names of fishermen and coconuts - that could be Kerala...But when they spoke of ship repair, they mentioned Varanasi and Patna names but not Kerala. This is a little surprising. But perhaps there are more details in the budget document. I have yet to read it. There were very few details in the speech though.”

Also Read | 'Humpty Dumpty Budget full of jugglery': Mamata's scathing attack on 'visionless' Budget

Trinamool leaders attack Budget priorities

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee labelled the Budget a “Humpty-Dumpty Budget”, calling it “anti-women, anti-farmer, anti-education.” She alleged that it is “directionless, visionless, missionless and actionless. The economy is derailed.”

Also Read | 'Faceless, baseless and visionless...,' TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slams Union Budget 2026

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee echoed similar criticism, describing the Budget as a “self-appraisal report written by the government’s PR team”. He alleged that earlier promises, including allocations under the Jal Jeevan Mission and infrastructure projects such as the Dankuni Corridor, remained unfulfilled.

He said, “The government, which talks about Skill India, artificial intelligence, and technological advancement, failed to provide any roadmap for job creation for the youth. There was no mention of security for farmers or measures to stabilise their income.”