Shashi Tharoor Raises Concerns Over Kerala's Representation in Union Budget 2026
Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has voiced strong criticism regarding the Union Budget 2026, highlighting what he perceives as a significant omission of Kerala-specific initiatives in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech. Tharoor pointed out that while the budget mentioned fishermen and coconuts—elements often associated with Kerala—it failed to directly address the state's needs or announce anticipated projects.
Ayurveda Institute Absence Sparks Disappointment
In his remarks, Tharoor emphasized the long-awaited announcement for the All India Institute of Ayurveda, which was expected to be established in Kerala. "Where is the All India Institute of Ayurveda? We wanted this in Kerala. We have had a long tradition of Ayurveda. But we didn't hear Kerala's name," he stated, expressing frustration over the lack of recognition for the state's rich heritage in traditional medicine. He noted that the budget speech contained very few details, leaving many questions unanswered.
Comparative Neglect in Infrastructure Mentions
Tharoor further contrasted the budget's approach by mentioning that when discussing ship repair, cities like Varanasi and Patna were named, but Kerala was conspicuously absent. "This is a little surprising," he remarked, suggesting that while there might be more details in the full budget document, the speech itself provided insufficient information. He admitted to not having read the complete document yet but stressed the speech's lack of specificity.
Cricketing Analogy to Critique Budget's Vision
Using a cricketing analogy, Tharoor slammed the budget for its perceived shortcomings. He described Sitharaman's speech as having "lots of subheadings but very few specifics" and being "completely short" of an overall vision. When asked if the finance minister had succeeded or failed, he responded, "I don't know if she's been stumped yet, but she certainly seems to have missed the ball. In one or two places, she may have got edges, but I'm not quite sure that we've got anything off the meat of the bat so far."
Broader Concerns Over Employment and Fiscal Devolution
Beyond state-specific issues, Tharoor raised broader economic concerns, asserting that the budget left the biggest question about job generation unanswered. He criticized the lack of measures to indicate how employment would be generated across the country. Additionally, he highlighted issues with fiscal devolution, noting that it remains unchanged at 41 percent, which has led to complaints from many states about insufficient funds to meet their obligations to citizens.
Tharoor concluded by expressing "genuine concern" over the budget's failure to address the needs of the middle class, lower middle class, and states, underscoring a perceived disconnect between the budget's announcements and ground realities.
