Ahead of the Union Budget presentation on February 1, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday, questioned whether the Modi government will offer “real solutions” to multiple economic indicators that are declining.
File Photo: IANS
Ahead of the Union Budget presentation on February 1, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday, questioned whether the Modi government will offer “real solutions” to multiple economic indicators that are declining. Kharge criticised the government’s economic record, saying it cannot blame past governments for current challenges.
Setting the tone for the opposition’s pre-Budget attack, Kharge questioned the government’s economic record and its ability to course-correct through the forthcoming Budget. “Will this Budget offer real solutions to the multiple economic indicators that are now in free fall?” the Congress chief asked in a post on social media platform X. He added that the government’s own legacy has pushed the economy into an “unprecedented mess.”
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Kharge said the government could not continue to invoke historical factors to explain present-day economic stress. “In this #UnionBudget, the Modi Government cannot hide behind the excuse of ‘legacy’. Their own legacy has pushed the economy into an unprecedented mess,” he said.
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The Congress leader’s remarks come a day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget for 2026-27, a key fiscal exercise that will be closely watched for signals on growth, employment, inflation, and support for vulnerable sections of society. The Budget will also be seen as politically significant, coming amid heightened scrutiny of the government’s economic management.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been stepping up criticism ahead of the Budget, alleging that issues such as unemployment, rising prices, stagnant wages, and stress among small and medium enterprises have not been adequately addressed over the past decade. Party leaders have argued that headline growth numbers mask deeper structural problems affecting ordinary households.
Senior Congress leaders said Kharge’s questions reflect public anxiety over the economy and the expectation that the Budget should prioritise job creation, relief for the middle class, support for farmers and MSMEs, and measures to tackle inflation and inequality.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has, however, maintained that India remains one of the fastest-growing major economies despite global headwinds.
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