Budget Session: Shashi Tharoor’s taunt on the government regarding the budget, ‘Ghalib’ thought is good to keep the heart happy

New Delhi. In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor alleged that unemployment was ignored, cost of living and inequality were ignored in the budget for the financial year 2026-27 and no attention was paid to the problems of the common man.

While starting the general discussion on the Union Budget in the House, he took a dig at the government by quoting a famous couplet of Mirza Ghalib that, “We know the reality of heaven, but ‘Ghalib’ this idea is good to keep the heart happy.”

The Congress leader said that looking at this year’s budget, it appears that the air bags in the car have been ‘rearranged’ so that the passengers sitting in it feel safe. Tharoor claimed, “Unemployment, cost of living and inequality have been ignored in the budget. No attention has been paid to the struggle of the common man.

Citing media reports, he said that in the last budget, a provision of more than Rs 5 lakh crore was made for 53 major welfare schemes but only 41 percent was spent in the first nine months of the financial year. Taking a dig at the non-spending of a large portion of the funds allocated for various welfare schemes, he said, “This is not governance, this is headline management.”

Accusing the agriculture sector of not being given due attention in the budget, Tharoor said, “You have not been able to fulfill the promise of doubling the income of our farmers, at least increase their ‘Samman Nidhi’.” For the last six years, this (Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi) is stuck at only Rs. 6,000.” He described the Narendra Modi government’s goal of making a developed India by 2047 as commendable, however, he mentioned that the budget has not moved forward on any credible path in this direction.

He said, “Unemployment continues to increase. Jobs have reduced. Small businesses already struggling to get relief are stuck at various stages of compliance with the rules. Informal workers and gig workers have been pushed into a state of uncertainty and insecurity.

The Congress MP said, “Gig workers are the backbone of our new economy. But there is no mention of them in the budget. Tharoor said that more than 1.5 lakh schools do not have electricity supply. He said, “A truly developed India will not be built by slogans, speeches or symbols, but by reaching out to the last person in India.”