Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 2 : Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara on Monday mounted a scathing attack on the Centre over the Union Budget 2026, terming it "disappointing" and "not forward-looking."
Parmeshwara said the budget failed to address key national priorities and questioned the Centre's intent on poverty alleviation and development.
Speaking to reporters, Parmeshwara said, "This year's Union Budget is disappointing, not forward-looking, and not a pro-poor budget. Is removing poverty, the agriculture sector, industry, or infrastructure not a priority for them? It is not taking India forward."
The state Home Minister also spoke at length about freedom of speech and the decision to forward a state bill to the President Draupadi Murmu.
Emphasising constitutional values, Parmeshwara said, "Freedom of speech has been enshrined in the Constitution. But if it crosses a limit, should it not be regulated?"
He questioned the circumstances under which the bill was sent to the President, suggesting that the state government was not given an opportunity to clarify its position.
"I don't know under what pressure he sent it to the President of India. He could have asked us for clarification on the bill. This shows that something is not right. In fact I had expected he would send it back to the government asking questions... I can't say at this point whether it was political, but it is disappointing," he added.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sanjay Jaiswal lauded the Union Budget 2026-27, slamming Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of the budget.
Speaking to ANI, Jaiswal said that the opposition "don't know how to read", stating that the budget lays the foundation of the future."They don't know how to read. If you ask Rahul Gandhi what nominal GDP is, he'll throw his hands up in the air... He doesn't even know what capital expenditure (capex) is. This budget is meant to lay the foundation for the country's future," Jaiswal said.
Some of the key announcements of the budget were that public capital expenditure has been increased to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026-27, up from Rs 11.2 lakh crore in the previous year, underlining the government's continued focus on infrastructure-led growth.
Key initiatives include the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years to promote environmentally sustainable transport systems.
A major highlight on the taxation front was the announcement that the New Income Tax Act, 2025, will come into effect from April 2026, accompanied by simplified rules and redesigned forms to ease compliance for taxpayers. The Budget also proposes reductions in Tax Collected at Source (TCS) rates for overseas tour packages, education and medical expenses under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme.