New Delhi, February 12 (IANS). Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale supported the Union Budget 2026 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. While praising the work of the government, he targeted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other opposition leaders.
Participating in the discussion on the Union Budget, the Republican Party of India (RPI) leader, known for his unique rhyming style, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He used poetry to respond to the opposition’s criticism of government policy.
A sample of his speech that went viral was, “India-US deal has become so good, so Kharge Saheb why are you feeling this?” This was a reference to the recently signed interim trade agreement, which has been criticized by the Congress-led opposition for allegedly compromising national interests.
Similarly, Athawale said, “The one who has the art of giving a good budget, her name is Sitharaman Nirmala. If Narendra Modi ji is doing good for the poor, then why are the hearts of Congress people jealous?”
Speaking amid the ongoing debate on the budget, Athawale said that it is difficult to make proper arrangements for farmers and the poor, but PM Modi’s government has succeeded in doing so. “It is difficult to make arrangements for farmers, but Prime Minister Modi has done it,” he said, and credited the government’s focus on inclusive growth.
Highlighting the allocation for his ministry, he said the budget for Social Justice and Empowerment now stands at Rs 1.98 lakh crore, which he termed a huge increase that shows the government’s commitment towards welfare schemes for backward classes.
Comparing the current government with previous governments, Athawale said that there was once an attempt to ‘remove the poor, not poverty’, but the current government is seeing concrete progress. Citing figures, he claimed that 25 crore people have been brought out of poverty through special methods like Direct Benefit Transfer, Housing Scheme, Sanitation Drive and Financial Inclusion Programme.
Appealing for unity, he said people from all backgrounds stand with the government and said the budget gives justice to every section of the society. Appealing for support from both parties, he said, “This budget wants to give justice to all, so everyone should support it.”
–IANS
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