New Delhi: No guesses what everybody is tweeting about today — the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman’s speech.
The BJP is fulsome in its praise.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claims (hopes?) the Budget will bring India closer to the $5 trillion economy goal soon.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi the nation aspires to be a 5 Trillion economy. The Budget today has emphatically laid down this goal to be achieved by 2024-25.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 1, 2020
Smriti Irani, Minister for Women and Child Development, expresses her admiration for the Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sitharaman, blah blah…
Congratulations to PM @narendramodi Ji & FM @nsitharaman Ji for presenting a progressive & futuristic budget encompassing aspirations of every section of the society & putting #NewIndia on a higher growth trajectory. #JanJanKaBudget
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 1, 2020
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is on an alliteration spree in his praise.
बजट 2020 -2021, "परफॉर्मिंग @narendramodi सरकार का प्रैक्टिकल, परफेक्ट, पीपुल्स फ्रेंडली बजट" है। "हम लाये हैं तूफ़ान से कश्ती निकाल के"……. #Budget2020 #BudgetSession2020 #JanJanKaBudget
— Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (@naqvimukhtar) February 1, 2020
The Opposition obviously opposes Sitharaman’s Budget.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is much struck by the length of the speech.
Our youth want jobs. Instead they got the longest budget speech in parliamentary history that said absolutely nothing of consequence.
PM & FM both looked like they have absolutely no clue what to do next.
#Budget2020 pic.twitter.com/5oUCs8rp32
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 1, 2020
Many commented on the length of the Finance Minister’s speech — the longest budget speech so far. Here’s Congress MP Karti Chidambaram tweeting from Parliament.
There must a time limit for budget speeches. #Budget2020
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) February 1, 2020
Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav congratulates Sitharaman on many counts but none of them have anything to do with Budget.
वित्त मंत्री ने कई रिकॉर्ड तोड़ दिए:
सबसे लम्बे भाषण का
इतना बोल कर कुछ न कहने का भी!
अधिकतम भाषाएँ बोल कर भी सच न बोलने का!
अर्थशास्त्र छोड़कर बाकी सब विषयों पर ज्ञान देने का!
बधाई हो!
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) February 1, 2020
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal can only think of Delhi — and he is not happy with the Budget.
दिल्ली को बजट से बहुत उम्मीदें थी। लेकिन एक बार फिर दिल्ली वालों के साथ सौतेला व्यवहार हुआ। दिल्ली भाजपा के प्राथमिकताओ में आता ही नहीं, तो दिल्ली वाले भाजपा को वोट क्यों दे? सवाल ये भी है की चुनाव से पहले ही जब भाजपा दिल्ली को निराश कर रही है तो चुनाव के बाद अपने वादे निभाएगी?
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 1, 2020
CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, like a good communist, sees the Budget as anti-people.
Just platitudes & slogans. Nothing substantial to alleviate peoples’ misery, the growing unemployment, rural wage crash, farmers’ distress suicides and galloping prices. #BudgetSpeech pic.twitter.com/867dB4f4lc
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 1, 2020
Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha has a prediction for India’s economy.
To make an omelet, you have to break eggs.
No big idea, no real solution to structural problems, mere tinkering with cosmetic issues, no tough calls.
The budget has no vision whatsoever.
Fasten your seat belts, the next fiscal year will get bumpier. #Budget2020
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 1, 2020
While Randeep Singh Surjewala counts on his finger the ‘jumlabaazi’ in the Budget.
निर्मला जी,
1. पाँच ट्रिलियन इकोनामी जुमला ही निकली?
2. बजट में रोज़गार शब्द का ज़िक्र तक नहीं ?
3. पाँच नए स्मार्ट सिटी बनाएँगे?
पिछले सौ स्मार्ट सिटी का ज़िक्र तक नहीं!
4. ग़रीबी रेखा से नीचे जीवन यापन करने वालों
की संख्या बढ़ कैसे गई?#BudgetSession2020
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 1, 2020
The length and content of Sitharaman’s speech has given Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi hunger pangs…
खाया था हलवा,
फैलाया है रायता! #BudgetSession2020 https://t.co/Wh7A4NOSYa
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 1, 2020
Journalist M.K. Venu sees only a ‘non-budget’.
My quick take on the 2020-21 budget. It is a non-budget. Will make little or no difference to the massive demand problem in the economy. Nothing to suggest the financial system will be repaired soon to kick start credit, consumption and investment.
— M K Venu (@mkvenu1) February 1, 2020
Journalist Prosenjit Datta leaves the budget to the security dogs.
The dogs sniffed around and found there was nothing explosive in the budget 😑😑😑 https://t.co/v0i4yxieDG
— Prosenjit Datta (@ProsaicView) February 1, 2020
Did BJP leader R.K. Singh practise eye exercises to stay awake during the speech?
Me, during Good Friday sermon pic.twitter.com/9m9Wr3lfLf
— Lebrown James (@Naa_Cheese) February 1, 2020
And finally, away from Delhi and the Budget, actor Shabana Azmi thanks well-wishers after being discharged from the hospital following her car accident last month.
Thank you all for your prayers and wishes for my https://t.co/A21IxD7Usd back home now Thank you #Tina Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani hospital for the sterling care provided by the doctors team and the nursing staff. Im indebted and grateful🙏 pic.twitter.com/6a1PWsGKnn
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 1, 2020