Budget 2018 reactions: Here's who said what

While the principal Opposition party Congress on Thursday described the Union Budget 2015 presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as mere "lip service", and criticised the finance minister for 'failing' in fiscal consolidation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was all praise for the Union Budget 2018.

“The govt has attempted to pay lip service to farmers and to other marginalised sections of society but it is a classic case of too less and completely at the inappropriate time,” Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

Also read: Top takeaways from Union Budget 2018

Also read: Key highlights of Budget 2018

Also read: Full text of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's speech to Parliament

Former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram hit out at Jaitley and said that the Union Minister failed fiscal consolidation test.

“Jaitley fails fiscal consolidation test, this failure will have serious consequences,” Chidambaram said.

 RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav criticised the Budget on Twitter. “Modi sarkaar ne dharaatal par kuch nahi kia aur na hi kar rahi. Sarkar sirf kaghazon par baaton ke pakore aur jumlon ke bataashe utaar rahi hai (The government has done nothing on the ground. They are just creating policies on paper),” he wrote on Twitter.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the 2018 Budget provides a big relief to salaried taxpayers. “Standard deduction is back after more than a decade. It will provide a significant thrust to consumption & result in an increase in economic growth. Great initiative by FM @arunjaitley! #NewIndia,” he wrote on Twitter.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev too praised the budget. “Immensely Inclusive Budget. Hope for the distressed farmer and poor populations. Congratulations to #FinanceMinister for Inclusive and Progressive tilt. -Sg #Budget2018 @arunjaitley,” he tweeted.