ANI
10 Feb 2026

New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): Rajya Sabha took up debate on Union Budget on Monday as the stalemate continued in the Lok Sabha over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's intention to speak about a reference in former Army Chief NN Naravane's 'unpublished book' and the opposition members and the treasury benches trading charges.

Initiating the debate on Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the government over the Union Budget 2026, saying it is 'parsimonious, forgetful of the past year' and will vanish from memory of people.

He said that in budget discussion, every subject, every ministry, every department for whom money is allocated and an appropriation is sought can be discussed.

Chidambaram said a lot of people put on a lot of work and do a lot of research and analysis to prepare the Economic Survey.

'I wonder whether the government and its key ministers read the economic survey. The most charitable view is that they don't care for the Chief Economic Adviser. The uncharitable view is that while the Chief Economic Adviser is bringing the government down to earth, what is happening around the country, I think the government and the ministers want to soar high and reach another planet, as if we are not living on earth,' he said.

The former Finance Minister said there are a number of challenges listed in the Economic Survey.

'I'll take up only four challenges: Capital Investment. For some years now, for almost 12 years, capital investment gross fixed capital formation is stuck at 30% of GDP. Net FDI in 2024-25 has collapsed to less than 0.09%. FPIs, foreign portfolio investors are pulling out. Private investment, although companies are cash rich, is stuck at 22% of GDP. In this situation where neither the public sector nor the private sector nor the foreign investor is investing in India, this government has cut capital expenditure,' he said.

Referring to unemployment, he said the youth unemployment is 15%, less than 25% of the workforce is in regular employment. He said there are more workers are in the agriculture sector than they were four or five years ago.

'Only in a country with 144 crore people, only one 195 lakh, that is less than 2 crore, are employed in a factory. Manufacturing, which is largely factories, is stuck at 16% for many, many years. I'll give you an example. The PM internship scheme was touted last year. The Finance Minister made that statement. Corporate houses were persuaded to offer internship.' He said of 1.65 lakh offers that came, only thirty-three thousand were accepted.

'Are they no young men and women to accept an internship in big companies? Of the thirty-three thousand who accepted, six thousand left the job. So, what is wrong with the internship scheme? She touted it last year. She must explain why the scheme is totally failed this year,' he said.

Chidambaram said the government's 'Reform Express is stuck'.

'Look at the nominal growth rate. The nominal growth rate in 2023-24 was 12%. In 24-25, it came down to 9.8%. In 25-26, the year which will end in a month, it's come down to 8%. Where is the reform express gathering momentum? You refer to the real GDP growth, real GDP growth. But Dr. Surjit Bhalla, one of your strongest supporters, has mocked the real GDP growth. That's because your CPI inflation is half a per cent, your wholesale inflation is negative, your deflator is only 0.5. With these numbers, you can always make a GDP growth. But the nominal growth has come down from 12% in 23-24 to 9.8% in 24-25 and 8% in 25-26,' he said.

Chidambaram said the fiscal consolidation is slow.

'The fiscal deficit in 25-26 is 4.4%. She has achieved her target. For next year, it will come down only to 4.3% and the revenue deficit in the current year will be 1.5% and next year also it will remain at 1.5%. Now what is the FRBM target? FRBM target is 3% of fiscal deficit and the revenue deficit, the ideal is to eliminate the revenue deficit, but it can be up to 1%. At this rate, at this rate of consolidation, it will take 12 years to achieve the FRBM target,' he said.

He said there has been cut in expenditure in agriculture and rural development and Jal Jeevan Mission.

Participating in the debate, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Union Budget has duped villages, farmers and marginalised sections of society.

Surjewala asserted that the Budget's priorities and allocations are contrary to the interests of rural India, farmers, the poor and deprived classes.

He claimed the government has 'sacrificed the interests of farmers under the India-US trade deal'.

He said that the Budget cuts provisions and outlays for needy sections.

Surjewala described Budget 2026 as 'politically directionless' and 'policy-wise bankrupt', arguing it contains technical jargon with no substantive deliverables.

Lok Sabha continued to face disruptions following standoff between the government and opposition.

A political row erupted last week after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought to quote from the 'pre-print book' during his speech in Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks on the President's Address with the treasury benches strongly opposing his remarks. After facing several adjournments on the issue, the House last week adopted the motion of thanks by voice vote amid sloganeering by opposition benches.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday slammed the Congress and said the government cannot agree to a situation where Rahul Gandhi makes accusations in Lok Sabha and a ruckus is created in which other members cannot speak.

Rijiju told reporters that the opposition does not have the numbers for any no-confidence motion they plan to bring against the Speaker.'I had given a commitment to the Congress party in front of the Speaker that if Congress agrees to let the House function normally, then we will allow Congress and other parties to speak on how to run the House. I can't agree to a situation where Rahul Gandhi speaks and makes accusations, creates a ruckus and then does not let others speak. If Congress speaks, then we will allow other members to also speak,' Rijiju said.

He said the government did not urge the Speaker to take action over the conduct of opposition members.'They can bring the motion, but they don't have the numbers. They insulted the institution of the Speaker and climbed onto the officials' tables. We could have asked the Speaker to take action. I am not urging the Speaker to take any particular action,' he said on Opposition to move no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on the government over his intention to speak about a specific incident concerning 2020 standoff with China mentioned in Gen Naravane's unpublished book and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't come into the Lok Sabha 'because he was scared of what we were going to say' and 'was scared of being handed General Naravane's book as a first step'.

Talking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi rejected criticism that the opposition members could have resorted to 'unprecedented situation' in the House and said 'there's no question of our members attacking the Prime Minister' and asked if anybody said so, why the government has not taken action.He also said the government 'is worried' about holding a debate on the union budget because the US deal and its impact on farmers will be discussed.

Rahul Gandhi referred to the talks with the government over the stalemate in the House.'The agreement is that we'll be allowed to say these points and then the discussion should happen. So we are quite keen that the discussion happens. We want the discussion to happen, but now let us see what the government says. My personal view is that the government is scared to have a debate. The Prime Minister didn't come into the House because he was scared of what we were going to say. He was scared of being handed General Naravane's book as a first step,' Rahul Gandhi alleged.

'My guess is that the government is worried about having a debate on the budget because the issue of the US deal, the way it was done, what has happened, the impact on our farmers is going to be discussed, and the government doesn't want to do that,' he added.

The Congress leader also accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of misleading the House about Gen Naravane's memoir.

'The story started a few days ago when the issue of the Naravane book came, and the government didn't want me to discuss that at all. So they stalled the House. They didn't let me speak. That happened three or four times. First, they said that I cannot quote a book. Then I said I'm not quoting a book, I'm quoting a magazine. Then they said you cannot quote a magazine. Then I said I'll speak about it. Then they didn't want me to speak about it. The Defence Minister said, falsely, that the book has not been published. In fact, the book has been published and we've got a copy of it also. So that is one big issue. Not allowing the LoP and the entire opposition to speak in the president's address,' he said.

Rahul Gandhi also made a veiled reference to BJP member Nishikant Dubey and said he had made 'very vile allegations' against Congress leaders.

'The second issue is that one of their members spoke, quoting books, multiple books, spoke very vile stuff, and nothing was said. We don't like the fact that they can say whatever they want, whenever they want, and the opposition cannot. The third issue is the suspension of our members. And the final issue, which we are very disturbed about, is this idea that has been floated that members were going to threaten the Prime Minister. There's no question of that. The fact is very clear. The Prime Minister was scared to come to the House, not because of the members, but because of what I was saying. He's still scared because he cannot face the truth,' he said.'There's no question of our members attacking the Prime Minister. He should have the courage to come. I also mentioned that if somebody said that he's going to attack the Prime Minister, then please do an FIR at once. Arrest that person. Why are you not doing that? So that's basically what's happened,' he added. (ANI)