New Delhi: Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Wednesday expressed strong support for the Union Budget 2026 while launching a sharp attack on the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his criticism of the India-US trade agreement.
Speaking during the debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, Shinde congratulated Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time.
He said the scale of the Budget reflects the country’s economic progress over the past decade.
“As a youth, I would like to tell today’s generations how far the country has come. In 2013-14, the Union Budget was only Rs 16.5 crore, but now, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is Rs 53.5 crore. The victory for the third time means three times development,” he said.
Shinde also criticised Opposition MPs for repeated disruptions in the House and took aim at Rahul Gandhi over the controversy surrounding former Army chief General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir.
Mocking Gandhi’s speech during the Budget discussion, Shinde referred to the LoP’s martial arts analogy.
“Even today, I only heard ‘grip, choke’. Is this a discussion on Budget or martial arts? If we were to like a martial arts class, we would surely come to you. However, I think that next time, the LoP comes to deliver a speech, a disclaimer should be flashed, stating, ‘This speech is purely fictional and has no relation to the true events,” Shinde said.
He also cited observations from former Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao’s autobiography to counter Opposition claims about the state of the economy.
Quoting the former RBI Governor, Shinde said, “Finance Ministry pressurised RBI to soften interest rates and project an overly optimistic economic view.”
He alleged that those who are currently questioning the economy had earlier manipulated economic projections.
“The people here today, who were claiming that the economy is under threat, used to do this to manipulate the picture of economic growth,” he said.
Responding strongly to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the India-US agreement, Shinde dismissed the criticism and took a dig at the INDIA bloc’s internal cohesion.
“He was saying that the government’s policies lack grip. Along with this, he was also dreaming of the INDIA bloc making a deal with America. See, dreaming is good, but daydreaming is very harmful. Before dealing with America, the INDIA bloc allies should deal amongst themselves,” he said.
He further criticised the Opposition alliance’s political track record.
“Those whose political deal is getting cancelled in every state are talking about international dealings… they should first worry about their home, their country and then the world,” he added.
Continuing his attack on Gandhi, Shinde referred to the LoP’s remarks about choking and claimed that the Congress party has faced repeated electoral setbacks in recent years.
“He (Rahul Gandhi) was also talking about choking. People have choked his party in the past 12 years,” he said, adding that Congress has lost elections 96 times during this period.
Countering Gandhi’s claim that India’s textile sector would suffer under the trade arrangement, Shinde asserted that the sector is performing strongly on the global stage.
“They (Opposition) say, we have sold Bharat Mata, and Rijiju said that no one has the courage to sell India. However, it is worth noting that during their time (UPA tenure), who defied Bharat Mata,” he said, citing Aksai Chin and Katchatheevu island as examples.
Shinde also criticised Gandhi’s claim that the United States views India and Pakistan on equal footing. Referring to recent remarks by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Shinde said the statement highlighted Pakistan’s position in global geopolitics.
He quoted Asif’s remark that the “US used Pakistan as a piece of toilet paper and threw it away.”
“This is the level of Pakistan. However, some people try to defame India, while outside the country as well as in this House,” Shinde said.
The Shiv Sena leader praised the Budget, describing it as a representation of a “New India” where emphasis is being laid on education, healthcare and employment generation.
(IANS)
