At Delhi rally, Modi hails 'friendliest budget' ever

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2025-26, calling it the "friendliest budget for the middle-class in the history of the country" and attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government for alleged "rampant corruption, and false promises", while appealing to the people to help form a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Capital.

- Paras Singh

Speaking in RK Puram on his third and final rally ahead of the crucial Delhi assembly elections, Modi sharpened his attack against Delhi's ruling party, labelling it AAPda (calamity) once again. The PM said the AAP was disintegrating, in an apparent reference to the eight former AAP MLAs who quit the party and joined the BJP on Saturday.

"In Delhi, the broom's (AAP election symbol) straws are falling apart even before the voting begins. The leaders of AAP are leaving it. They have realised how angry the people are with AAP on the ground. The mask of AAP has been removed in front of the people of Delhi," Modi said, speaking at Central Park, in Sector 12 of RK Puram.

Responding to the PM's allegations, the AAP said the BJP has "no vision for Delhi". "Their [BJP's] election campaign revolves around attacking and hurling abuses at Arvind Kejriwal. Even in the last leg of his campaign, PM Modi offered no vision for Delhi and its people. Int he Delhi model [of AAP], public funds are used for the people, through free electricity, water, health care, bus travel, or education. Under this model, Delhi has the lowest inflation, and least unemployment rate in the country," AAP said in a statement.

Modi said the latest budget will help the middle class save thousands of rupees. "Since the budget was presented yesterday, the entire middle class is saying that this budget is the friendliest for the middle class in the history of India. Our government has completely reduced the income tax to zero on income up to 12 lakh. This will save thousands of rupees of middle-class people," he added.