Sun Feb 01 07:51:56 UTC 2026: # Congress Slams Union Budget 2026 as “Lacklustre” and “Non-Transparent”

The Story:
The Indian National Congress has criticized the Union Budget 2026, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2026, calling it “totally lacklustre” and falling short of expectations. According to Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary (Communications), the budget speech lacked transparency, failing to provide adequate details on budgetary allocations for key programs and schemes.

Key Points:

  • The Congress party has labelled the Union Budget 2026 as “totally lacklustre”.
  • Jairam Ramesh criticized the budget speech as “non-transparent,” citing a lack of clarity on budgetary allocations.
  • Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister, presented her ninth budget speech.
  • The government proposes raising the capex target to ₹12.2 lakh crore for FY27, up from ₹11.2 lakh crore in the current fiscal year.
  • The budget includes measures to boost infrastructure, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
  • The budget comes amidst global uncertainties, trade frictions, and U.S. tariffs, as well as a slowdown in exports.
  • The Finance Minister also proposes extending the revised I-T return deadline to March 31, 2026.

Critical Analysis:
While the Congress is criticizing the budget for lack of transparency, the government is focusing on long-term goals, such as increasing infrastructure. Based on previous related events, the government appears to be focused on technology and environmental measures, as well as improving rail transit between cities. The criticism from the opposition is expected, and will likely bring forth a debate of where the money is allocated in comparison with the previous budgets.

Key Takeaways:

  • Political opposition to the Union Budget 2026 is immediate and strong.
  • The government is prioritizing infrastructure development and capital expenditure.
  • The budget is being presented against a backdrop of global economic challenges.
  • The government seeks to promote India as a cloud service hub with data centres.
  • The government also seeks to utilize carbon capture.

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