President's Budget speech was disappointing: Sharad Pawar

New Delhi, Feb 23: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday slammed President Pranab Mukherjee's speech, saying many MPs were caught napping during the 45-minute joint sitting of the Parliament.

"It was very disappointing, many people were sleeping," Pawar was quoted as saying in India Today report.

Earlier in the day, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati said, the President's address to Parliament, which is a reflection of the Centre's policy, was all about "less work and more talk" and there was nothing new in it.

"There was nothing in the President's speech. All what has been said earlier was presented in a different way," she said outside Parliament.

In his speech, President Pranab Mukherjee said inflation has fallen to a record low due to a number of decisive steps taken by the government and the economy is again on a high growth trajectory.

He said, "Inflation and food inflation, in particular, are at a record low due to a number of decisive measures taken by the government."

Wholesale inflation turned negative for the second time in three months as fall in petroleum and food prices dragged it to a five-and-a-half year low of (-) 0.39 per cent in January. The overall food inflation was at eight per cent.

The President further said that as a result of the government's sustained efforts and a series of policy initiatives, "our economy is again on the high growth trajectory."

OneIndia News