Delhi budget: Opposition slams ‘hollow promises’, BJP hits back

Had this ₹1 lakh crore budget been grounded in reality, had the government truly been generating ₹1 lakh crore in revenue, the Economic Survey would have been tabled, Leader of Opposition Atishi

New Delhi: As chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday presented her maiden budget in the legislative assembly for a “viksit” (developed) Delhi, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress criticised it for laying out “fake numbers” and making “hollow promises” while missing to include provisions to provide subsidised LPG cylinders to the poor as promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the assembly polls in February.

Apart from AAP leader Atishi, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav in his party’s reaction over the BJP government’s budget for the Capital pointed out that the budget was devoid of provisions for subsidised LPG cylinders.25, 2025. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

In a press conference convened in the Delhi Assembly post-budget presentation, leader of opposition Atishi alleged the ₹1 lakh crore budget lacked any “economic foundation”.

“The moment CM Rekha Gupta presented it in the Assembly, it became clear why the BJP deliberately withheld the Economic Survey from the House. Had this ₹1 lakh crore budget been grounded in reality—had the government truly been generating ₹1 lakh crore in revenue—the Economic Survey would have been tabled. But they didn’t present it because the data would have exposed their ‘hawa-hawai’ budget. The survey would have laid bare the truth, revealing that this budget is built on fake numbers and imaginary figures,” she added.

On education, Atishi accused the BJP of “systematically dismantling government schools and crushing the system that provides quality education to kids of the downtrodden”.

“For the first time in 10 years, education funding has been slashed to an all-time low. Under the AAP government, at least 22-25% of the budget was always allocated to education—nearly a quarter of the total. But this year, for the first time in a decade, education has received less than 20%,” she added.

On health, she said: “The allocation for the health sector has been reduced from 16-17% to just 13%—the lowest in the last 10 years.”

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav pointed out that the budget was devoid of provisions for subsidised LPG cylinders.

“In its manifesto the BJP had promised free cooking gas cylinders for households during Holi and Diwali, and subsidised cooking gas cylinder for ₹500. But this promise too has turned out to be hollow as there was no mention of it in the budget,” Yadav said in a statement.

Delhi Congress president Yadav said, “The Congress government under Sheila Dikshit had earmarked 34.3% of the total Budget in 2013-14 for capital expenditure, and carried out unprecedented all-round developments. But 12 years later, the BJP government’s budget has reduced the Capital expenditure allocation to 28%, exhibiting that the BJP’s development agenda is a mere rhetoric.”

BJP MP from South Delhi Ramvir Singh Bidhuri hit back at AAP, saying that in the last decade, the AAP “not only derailed Delhi from development track” but also “destroyed the infrastructure”.

“This budget will not only transform the ruined Delhi into developed Delhi but also seems to be fulfilling all expectations that the public has placed on the BJP in the assembly polls after the Lok Sabha. This budget will make the lives of Delhiites easier,” said Bidhuri.

Notably, it was the first budget of the BJP government since returning to power in Delhi after a 27-year hiatus, defeating the AAP that ruled the city between 2015 to 2025 with full majority.