Union Budget 2026 Criticism By Hooda Highlights Welfare Gaps

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda attacked the Union Budget 2026, calling it "hollow and disappointing," and argued that it failed to ease pressure on ordinary citizens. Hooda said the financial plan did not match public hopes and that key social and economic concerns were left unaddressed.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday as Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, Hooda claimed the Union Budget 2025–26 ignored farmers, labourers, villagers and the middle class. He alleged that Haryana had been left "empty-handed" and said the proposals did not offer any meaningful support to people facing rising prices.

Sector allocations and cuts in Union Budget 2026

Hooda highlighted large reductions in several ministries under the Union Budget 2025–26, arguing that these signalled shrinking support for welfare schemes. He cited cuts in rural development (Rs 53,067 crore), urban development (Rs 39,573 crore), social welfare (Rs 9,999 crore), agriculture (Rs 6,985 crore), education (Rs 6,701 crore) and health (Rs 3,686 crore).

According to Hooda, overall revenue expenditure decreased by Rs 75,168 crore in the Union Budget 2026. He added that capital expenditure fell by Rs 25,335 crore for the Centre and by Rs 1,19,041 crore for states. Hooda said central capital spending as a share of GDP slipped from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent, and claimed this was not mentioned in the budget speech.

Political and regional criticism of Union Budget 2026

Framing the Union Budget 2026 as a political document, Hooda called it proof of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s "anti-people policies." Hooda said, "The common man is struggling with inflation, unemployment, and economic crisis, but the central government has only paid lip service. This budget has been prepared by ignoring the interests of Haryana and the entire country."

Hooda also alleged that the Union Budget 2026 failed to treat Haryana fairly. He argued that the state did not receive its due share in allocations, despite contributing strongly to national food security and industry. According to Hooda, the budget overlooked regional needs even as residents dealt with high living costs and job stress.

Agriculture and social schemes in Union Budget 2026

On agriculture, Hooda said the Union Budget 2026 did not recognise the hardship of cultivators. Hooda stated, "Farmers have been completely ignored in the budget. There is neither any provision for loan waiver nor any arrangement to fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) according to the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers. Farmers are already in distress, but the central government has not paid any attention to their plight,"

Hooda further warned that the Union Budget 2026 signalled trouble for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. He alleged the government was preparing to weaken or dismantle MGNREGA, calling this a direct attack on the rights of Dalits, backward classes and rural communities who depend on the scheme for work and basic income support.

Education, health and tax issues in Union Budget 2026

Hooda argued that the Union Budget 2026 pushed education and health spending backwards. Hooda said, "Looking at the percentage of GDP spent on education, after the removal of the cess in 2002–03, the total expenditure was 2.3 percent, which has now decreased to only 1.1 percent—less than half. Similarly, in 2017, the target was to spend 2.5 percent of the GDP on health, but currently, it is below 1 percent. Budget cuts have been made in these sectors,"

On direct taxes, Hooda claimed that the Union Budget 2026 did not ease daily financial pressure. Hooda said, "Nothing has been done to provide relief from inflation, and no exemption has been given in income tax. While tax is being collected on cryptocurrency, the government is not clarifying whether it is considered legal or illegal," He argued that such ambiguity confused young investors and salaried taxpayers.

Summing up the objections to the Union Budget 2026, Hooda said the financial exercise missed a chance to support Haryana and ordinary citizens facing inflation, unemployment and weak public services. Hooda maintained that farmers, workers, students and patients would continue to struggle, as the budget, in his view, remained "completely hollow and disappointing".