😼Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam on Saturday presented the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26. The Budget, which gave a big relief to the middle class in terms of tax, has sparked reactions across the political spectrum.
♓While the Union Budget is being celebrated for its focus on middle-class relief and development-oriented measures, opposition parties argue that it falls short in addressing crucial issues such as the welfare of the common people and equitable resource distribution.
😼Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam on Saturday presented the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26. The Budget, which gave a big relief to the middle class in terms of tax, has sparked reactions across the political spectrum.
🌳While it is being celebrated for its focus on middle-class relief and development-oriented measures, opposition parties argue that it falls short in addressing crucial issues and raising concerns about its inclusivity and effectiveness
Leaders praising the Union Budget 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 💮lauded the Union Budget as a "people's budget" that puts more money in the hands of people and said it is a force-multiplier that will increase investments and lead to growth.
🧜"The #ViksitBharatBudget2025 reflects our Government’s commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore Indians," the PM wrote on X.
﷽In a video message, Modi said that a budget usually focuses on increasing the income of the government, but the budget presented by Sitharaman seeks to put more money in the pockets of people, increase savings and make citizens partners in the development journey.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah 🍰also lauded the budget, especially the tax relief for the middle class. In a tweet, Shah wrote, “The middle class is always in PM Modi’s heart. Zero Income Tax till Rs 12 Lakh Income. The proposed tax exemption will go a long way in enhancing the financial well-being of the middle class…”
💝Cabinet Minister Chirag Paswan expressed his support for the budget’s focus on Bihar, particularly the establishment of a Makhana Board to enhance the production, processing, and marketing of Makhana, a vital crop for the state. He praised the budget’s emphasis on organizing those involved in Makhana production into Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), which he believes will uplift local farmers.
🐷Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami hailed the development-oriented nature of the budget, commending the Finance Minister for presenting a proposal that caters to the welfare of all sections of society. “Certainly, this budget contains many important provisions for the upliftment of all sections of the country, farmers, women, youth and the underprivileged. Through this, the resolution of self-reliant India will also get golden wings and new doors of employment will open due to encouragement to startups,” Dhami wrote on X.
♐The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari praised the zero-income tax proposal for the middle class, calling it a “historic relief.” She emphasised that this would enable more savings and enhance spending power. She also highlighted the government's commitment to simplifying tax policies, with a new income tax bill set to be introduced soon.
꧟BJP president J P Nadda praised the budget and said that by focusing on the four engines -- agriculture, MSME, investment, and export --, the “Viksit Bharat Budget 2025” will drive the aspirations of poor, youth, farmers and women, ensuring that no one is left behind on the road to progress. “The Union Budget 2025 is a visionary roadmap that embodies the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians, lighting the way towards PM Narendra Modiji’s vision of a Viksit Bharat,” Nadda wrote on X.
♍Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma praised the benefits announced for Assam in the budget and said it is a 'historic day' for Assam. "#UnionBudget2025 has announced a 12.7 lakh MT urea plant in Namrup, a long standing demand of the people of Assam. After the semiconductor plant in Jagiroad , this urea facility will be a game changer for the entire North East. It will not only help us achieve self sufficiency in fertilizer availability but also better channelise our natural gas resources," he wrote on X expressing gratitude to PM Modi and FM Sitharaman on behalf people of Assam.
Leaders criticising the Union Budget 2025
🥂On the other hand, some opposition leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with the budget’s provisions, particularly regarding its impact on the common people and specific states.
🙈Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the budget for not addressing critical issues like the inclusion of breakfast in schools or the upward revision of honorariums for Anganwadi workers, despite these being longstanding demands from the Education and Women and Child Development Ministries. He questioned the Finance Minister’s commitment to investing in the people without addressing these basic needs.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee expressed disappointment with the budget’s lack of focus on West Bengal, accusing the government of prioritising electoral interests in Bihar. “They have presented the Budget with the upcoming Bihar elections in mind. Last time as well, all announcements were for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Andhra Pradesh elections are over, Bihar polls are upcoming, so the state is in focus,” Banerjee told reporters in the Parliament complex.
🔯“As far as West Bengal is concerned, it has not got anything in the last ten years, nor was there anything today. This is unfortunate,” he said.
🧜DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran also criticised the budget, calling it a “big letdown” for the middle class. While he acknowledged the proposed tax exemptions for income up to Rs 12 lakh, he pointed out the existence of a 10per cent tax slab for incomes between Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh, which he argued undermined the relief promised to the middle class. Maran also took aim at the government’s emphasis on Bihar, accusing it of trying to “fool” the people of the state ahead of elections.
ꦍAam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal criticised the government for spending large portions of the budget on waiving loans for the wealthy, suggesting that funds should instead be directed towards waiving loans for the middle class and farmers.
ဣKejriwal tweeted: “A large part of the country's treasury is spent on waiving off the loans of a few rich billionaires. I had demanded that it be announced in the budget that from now on, the loans of any billionaire will not be waived off. With the money saved from this,
🐈1. Middle class home loans and vehicle loans should be waived off; farmers' loans should be waived off.
2. Income tax and GST tax rates should be halved.
I am sad this was not done.”