The Congress on Saturday criticised the Union government over its Budget announcements related to the agriculture sector, stating that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remained “completely silent” on key demands of farmers, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and farm loan waivers.
Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget for 2025-26, said that the government would introduce reforms in six sectors: taxation, urban development, mining, the financial sector, power, and regulatory frameworks.
Among the announcements was the launch of the ‘PM Dhan Dhyan Krishi Yojana’, aimed at improving agricultural productivity in 100 districts with low yields, modern crop intensity, and below-average credit parameters.
Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, criticised the Budget, stating in a post on X, “The FM starts with agriculture but is completely silent on the demands of farmers and the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture — MSP as a legal guarantee, farm loan waiver, inflation indexation of PM Kisan payouts and reforms to PM Fasal Bima Yojana.”
In another post, Ramesh took aim at the government’s manufacturing policies, stating, “Make in India that had become Fake in India now has a new name: National Manufacturing Mission.”
Meanwhile, MPs from several opposition parties staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha as Finance Minister Sitharaman commenced her Budget speech.
The protest was led primarily by Samajwadi Party MPs, including party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Opposition parties called for a discussion on the Maha Kumbh stampede, in which 30 devotees died.
