"Carefully curated illusion": Shashi Tharoor slams union budget, likens it to 'rearranging airbags in a crashing car'

NEW DELHI: This year's Union Budget has disappointed Kerala, which had high expectations, said MP Shashi Tharoor. Pointing out that demands like AIIMS and expressway were not considered, Tharoor strongly criticised the Union Budget 2026-27, calling it a "Budget of Invisible Kerala" during the debate in the Lok Sabha. Tharoor alleged that the budget is "underwhelming" and described it as a "carefully curated illusion" rather than effective governance.

Tharoor kicking off the debate is a sign of reaching a consensus with the Congress leadership. He had to speak while sitting down because he injured his leg in a fall. The discussion was opened after the government persuaded the opposition, who had been protesting in the past few days.

"Kerala did not get the AIIMS promised in the first year of the NDA government this time either. Although 22 AIIMS were announced in the previous budgets, there is still silence on Kerala. Vizhinjam port was completely ignored. Kerala, which has many rivers, was not considered in shipbuilding projects. Kerala was ignored in the expressway. Ignorance due to political reasons will increase the travel misery of the people. Pepper, a crucial crop in Kerala, was ignored. The spice market is facing a major crisis. Since the new scheme is more technical than the employment guarantee scheme, there is a greater chance of workers losing their opportunities. The Budget failed to fix the underlying economic problems and is a "squandered opportunity like rearranging the airbags in a crashing car while assuring passengers that the chassis is intact. It is a budget that does not address the problems of the common people. The tax burden was shifted to individuals. Corporates were left alone." Tharoor also criticized the complete tariff exemption given to US products in the trade agreement.