‘An underwhelming budget’: Shashi Tharoor criticises Union Budget during Lok Sabha debate | WATCH

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday described the Union Budget 2026 as “underwhelming” while speaking during the Budget discussion in the Lok Sabha, criticising what he said was the government’s failure to address pressing public concerns.

“It is an underwhelming Budget,” Tharoor said, setting the tone for his remarks in the House as he questioned the priorities reflected in the Finance Minister’s proposals.

He raised concerns over environmental issues, stating that pollution control had been sidelined despite widespread public concern. “After months of public outrage and choking headlines, the Finance Minister’s speech found space for everything except the air we breathe; pollution control funding has been cut,” Tharoor said during the debate.

The Congress MP also criticised changes to the rural employment framework, arguing that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act had been weakened, particularly with regard to funding patterns and wage-sharing arrangements. “MGNREGA has now been replaced by the ambitious VB–GRAMG Act, hollowing out the legal employment guarantee. The new Act caps central funding, shifts 40 per cent of wage costs to states, and allows the scheme to be paused during the peak agricultural season,” he said.

Turning to agriculture, Tharoor said the sector continued to face inadequate investment even as challenges mounted. “There is underinvestment in agriculture, which is threatened by climate change and misaligned farming practices; the pepper sector is in distress in my state,” he said, drawing attention to the situation faced by pepper farmers in Kerala.