Oppn slams govt over 'cruel cuts' in Budget

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the government's handling of the economy, tore into the 2025-26 Union Budget for "cruel cuts", and asked why the government has not conferred the Bharat Ratna — the country's highest civilian honour — upon former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his contribution to the country.

- Zia Haq

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the government's handling of the economy, tore into the 2025-26 Union Budget for "cruel cuts", and asked why the government has not conferred the Bharat Ratna — the country's highest civilian honour — upon former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his contribution to the country.

Taking a dig at finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during a discussion on the general budget in the Rajya Sabha, for cuts in allocations made to the foreign ministry, Chidambaram wondered if "the finance minister is doing an Elon Musk on the external affairs ministry." Musk, a billionaire, leads the US department of government efficiency created by President Donald Trump to cut government expenses.

The Congress leader said the income-tax cuts announced by the FM would not only benefit the middle-class, but also billionaires, noting the budget had nothing for the "bottom 50%" of India.