Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Union Budget, calling it a “band-aid for bullet wounds” and accusing the government of lacking fresh ideas to address the economic crisis.
Taking to X, Gandhi stated, “A band-aid for bullet wounds! Amid global uncertainty, solving our economic crisis demanded a paradigm shift.” His remarks underscore the opposition’s concerns that the budget falls short of providing substantial solutions for pressing economic challenges.
The Congress party also criticised the budget, claiming it failed to address key issues such as stagnant real wages, sluggish private investment, low mass consumption and the complexities of the GST system. According to the party, these factors continue to weigh down the economy, and the budget did little to alleviate these concerns.
Furthering their criticism, the Congress accused the Narendra Modi-led government of selective favoritism, alleging that Bihar, governed by NDA ally Nitish Kumar, received special benefits while Andhra Pradesh, another key state in the alliance, was “cruelly ignored”.
The opposition’s response signals a heated debate over the effectiveness of the budget, with political leaders sharply divided on whether it provides meaningful relief or merely cosmetic solutions to deeper economic issues.