Nirmala Sitharaman's 90-min speech, little Opposition intervention

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 1

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday presented India’s second digital Budget, attracting frequent applause from the treasury benches and very little intervention from the largely mute Opposition.

But for a few swipes Trinamool Congress’ Sugata Roy took on the occasion, the Opposition looked fidgety but staid.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, AAP’s Bhagwant Mann and all other Punjab MPs barring former minister Manish Tewari, were conspicuous by their absence.

PM Modi frequently thumped his desk, giving a cue to the ruling side to follow.

Announcements on river-linking, digital university, digital rupee, natural farming, eased insurance policy for the differently abled and e-passports saw the highest level of excitement on the treasury side. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, A Raja (DMK), Sugata Roy (TMC) and Supriya Sule (NCP), were, however, seen gesturing in disinterest wondering what the applause was about.

Sitharaman’s 90-minute speech was mostly matter of fact except once when it quoted the Mahabharata to argue for righteous taxation. Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge was quick to denounce the Budget as “one for Dronacharya and Arjuna, and not Eklavya”.

Show of bonhomie

• PM Modi shook hands with TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay and Sugata Roy, spoke to Farooq Abdullah and enquired about his health
• The PM mingled with young MPs, patted Congress’ K Suresh and RSP’s NK Premachandran on the shoulder