'Vague Language, Couched Entirely In Generalities': Shashi Tharoor Lambasts Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2024

Shashi Tharoor said that the Interim Budget 2024 was replete with vague language and lacked concrete figures.

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday vehemently criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Interim Budget 2024. Tharoor argued that the budget was replete with vague language and lacked concrete figures. He particularly criticized Sitharaman, asserting that the budget speech was the shortest in history, offering little substantive information or tangible outcomes.

"It was one of the shortest speeches on record in the Budget. Not very much came out of it. As usual a lot of rhetorical language, very little concrete on implementation," said Tharoor. Congress MP further said that the speech was rife with vague terms like 'confidence' and 'hope,' while specific figures were notably scarce. 

"She (Nirmala Sitharaman) talked about many things which are couched in vague language like 'confidence' and 'hope' and so on. But when it comes to hard figures, very few figures available...This is going to be a very disappointing speech in terms of being couched entirely in generalities and without enough substance nor any willingness to address the specific problems of the economy," Tharoor added.

In reaction to the Interim Budget 2024, Congress MP Manish Tewari remarked that the Rs 18 lakh crore deficit indicates the government's reliance on borrowing for its expenditures, and said that this figure will only escalate in the coming year.

"It is a 'vote-on-account' which has only one purpose to keep the government solvent for the first quarter of the current fiscal year. What's worrying is that there is a budget deficit of Rs 18 lakh crores. This means that the government is borrowing for its expenditure. This number is only going to increase next year," said Tewari.

Meanwhile, National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah said the official budget will be presented in July. Our optimism is centered on the expectation that the populace will reap benefits, tourism will witness a surge, industries will experience growth, and the nation will advance.