New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the BJP on Sunday, alleging that the government prepares budgets only for a small section of society. He claimed that the budget is meant for just one-twentieth of the population, or five per cent of the country, to benefit people aligned with the BJP.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Akhilesh Yadav said that he had no expectations from the BJP-led government or its budget.
“When I have no expectations from the BJP government, what can I expect from its budget? So far, the budgets that have been presented appear to be meant for only one-twentieth of the population. This means the budget is designed for just five per cent of the country. Through the budget, the BJP looks after its own people and ensures that they will benefit and progress,” he said.
He further stated that a good budget should bring happiness to the poor and genuinely improve their lives.
“The BJP should look at its own manifesto and explain how many smart cities it has actually developed. They claimed to have improved solid waste management, yet people have died after consuming contaminated water. On international platforms, the government talks about achievements, but the reality is that India has faced criticism over poor air quality, with concerns that such conditions discourage investment,” he added.
Akhilesh Yadav also raised concerns over pollution and public health.
“It is only because of God’s grace that there has been rain; otherwise, it would have been very difficult to breathe. People are suffering and facing infections. The government keeps claiming that the country has reached great heights, but in this era of inflation, has farmers’ income really doubled? They talk about job creation, but are people actually getting jobs?” he asked.
He further questioned the government’s commitment to social justice.
“You make tall claims in the name of social justice, but what answers do you have for the realities on the ground? This budget, once again, is only for one-twentieth of the population,” he said.
Commenting on the situation in Uttar Pradesh, the SP chief alleged that the state government is disconnected from reality.
“The Chief Minister seems to be living in a different world. Under new schemes, people’s money is being deducted. The name of MGNREGA has been changed, but allocations for Uttar Pradesh have been reduced. Nearly 1,000 gram sabhas have been declared urban, yet no allocation is being provided for them,” he claimed.
He also criticised the government over infrastructure projects.
“They talk about having built 1,000 kilometres of metro, yet no metro has been constructed in the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency. They speak about Atal Ji and village development, but where is the development? They claimed to build expressways, but I believe those expressways exist only on paper,” Akhilesh Yadav added.
–IANS
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