'Don't Know How To Read': BJP Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi Over Budget 2026 Criticism

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal lauded the Union Budget 2026-27, stating the opposition, including Rahul Gandhi, 'don't know how to read' it. Other BJP leaders echoed this, while the opposition called the budget lacklustre and blind to India's crises.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sanjay Jaiswal on Monday lauded the Union Budget 2026-27, slamming Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the budget. Speaking to ANI, Jaiswal said that the opposition "don't know how to read", stating that the budget lays the foundation of the future. "They don't know how to read. If you ask Rahul Gandhi what nominal GDP is, he'll throw his hands up in the air... He doesn't even know what capital expenditure (capex) is. This budget is meant to lay the foundation for the country's future...," Jaiswal said.

BJP MP Shashank Mani also criticised the Lok Sabha LoP claiming that the Congress had pushed India to become the 11th largest economy while it is now the 5th largest. "Rahul Gandhi himself must not have understood this...PM Modi has given us the goal of 25 years to Viksit Bharat...We are the fourth-largest economy today and we will soon be the third. We were the 11th largest economy during their govt. So, I think this is a concrete budget, inspiring and inclusive," he said.

'Lacklustre, Blind to Crisis': Opposition Slams Budget

This comes after the opposition leaders criticised the Union Budget, calling it lacklustre, politically visionless, and blind to India's real crisis. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Union Budget 2026-2027, saying it is blind to India's real crisis and refuses course correction.

'Refuses Course Correction': Rahul Gandhi

In a post on X, he said manufacturing is falling, investors are pulling out capital and household savings are plummeting. Gandhi also alleged that farmers are in distress. "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," he said.

'Totally Lacklustre': Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed the budget as "lacklustre". He said the budget speech provided no indication of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes. "While the documents need to be studied in detail, it is clear after 90 mins that Budget 2026/27 falls woefully short of the hype that was generated about it. It was totally lacklustre. The speech was also non-transparent since it gave no idea whatsoever of budgetary allocations for key programmes and schemes," he said in a post on X.

'Lacks Policy Vision': Mallikarjun Kharge

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the budget lacks policy vision and political will to address the country's pressing economic, social, and political challenges. He said the Modi government has run out of ideas and the Budget2026 does not provide a single solution to India's many economic, social, and political challenges.

The Union Budget was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Sunday, her ninth consecutive budget. (ANI)

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