Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Centre following the presentation of the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling it a “disappointing and deplorable” exercise after stock markets witnessed a sharp fall. Responding through a series of posts on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the market reaction reflected the true outcome of what he termed a “BJP budget”.
“Here comes the result of the BJP’s budget, the share market has crashed,” Yadav wrote, adding that the real question was not why markets were opened on a Sunday, but “how much further they will fall”. He said there were no expectations from the BJP-led government and therefore none from its budget either.
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that every BJP budget caters only to a small section of society. “We consider every BJP budget as a ‘1/20 budget’ because it is meant for just five per cent of the people,” he said. Accusing the ruling party of corruption, he claimed the budget was meant to “set commissions and benefit their own people” and described it as an “invisible ledger of BJP corruption”.
Targeting the 2026 Budget specifically, the SP chief said it made no mention of the common people and offered them no relief despite rising inflation. He termed the absence of tax relief as “tax exploitation” and accused the government of favouring the wealthy by offering multiple concessions for business and travel, while leaving those grappling with unemployment and joblessness “with an empty plate of hopes”.
Yadav further claimed that the middle class felt cheated, while the poor, marginalised and deprived sections were being pushed further down due to weakening social security. Farmers, labourers, workers, small traders and shopkeepers, he said, were unable to find any meaningful relief in the budget.
Meanwhile, leaders from the ruling BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have praised the Union Budget, saying it reflects the aspirations of 140 crore Indians, strengthens the reform journey and lays out a clear roadmap for a Viksit Bharat. Opposition parties, however, continue to criticise the budget, alleging it offers little for farmers, youth and ordinary citizens.
