Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed the Chief Economic Advisor’s preface to the latest Economic Survey was a “powerful indictment” of the Modi government and its policies. The former finance minister said no one trusts this government or its “weaponized agencies.”
The BJP hit back, calling Chidambaram’s “screeching hypocrisy and economic illiteracy” dangerously delusional. The party said Chidambaram, the architect of the “Fragile Five” disaster, had no right to lecture on governance after leaving India’s economy gasping.
Chidambaram praised the CEA’s advice to “get out of the way” and roll back regulations. The BJP countered that this has been Modi’s playbook since 2014, as seen in reforms like GST and the Insolvency Code. They said the Survey’s call for deregulation is a continuation of the government’s agenda, not a rebuke.
The CEA urged changing the regulatory principle from “guilty until proven innocent” to “innocent until proven guilty.” He said wiping out the “trust deficit” is imperative, as no one trusts this government. The BJP dismissed Chidambaram’s “crocodile tears” over bureaucratic bloat, saying Modi has slashed red tape, not expanded it.
In the end, the BJP said Chidambaram’s entire argument collapses under the weight of its dishonesty. They asserted the Survey is a blueprint for building on Modi’s reforms, not a critique, and accused Chidambaram of retreating to his “echo chamber” while insulting the intelligence of Indians.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet on Saturday cleared the Union Budget 2025-26 for being presented in the Parliament.
With this, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her eighth Budget in the Lok Sabha amid economic growth slowing down to 4-year-low of 6.4 per cent and clamour for tax relief as consumption moderated.
This is also the second Budget of the BJP-led NDA government in its third term in office. The Budget is expected to give a lowdown of the Modi government’s measures to boost the economy while also outlining the roadmap to make India ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
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