FM Nirmala Sitharaman skips poetry, keeps focus on investments, growth in 85-min Budget speech

Draped in a purple Kanjivaram saree with golden checks and a coffee brown border featuring intricate thread work, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman honoured the weaving traditions of her poll-bound home state of Tamil Nadu as she presented a record ninth consecutive Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Sunday.

Sitharaman's 85-minute speech, described as "historic and futuristic" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began with the invocation of Guru Ravidas and the "sacred occasion of Magh Purnima", but maintained a business-like approach throughout.

The Budget speech was devoid of any poetic flourishes or references to cultural icons such as Thiruvalluvar or Basavanna and focused entirely on investments, growth, and the occasional, but not so explicit, mention of election-bound states.

At the end of the speech, Congress members from Kerala, which goes to the polls in April, were on their feet claiming that their state was ignored by the finance minister.

"Our government, led by hon'ble prime minister Modi, has decisively and consistently chosen action over ambivalence, reform over rhetoric and people over populism," Sitharaman said.

BJP members were seen thumping their desks after every few minutes as Sitharaman delivered her speech, but opposition members appeared unimpressed, with some remarking that they were unsure what the brouhaha was about.

This was the first Budget to be prepared at Kartavya Bhavan, the new office of the finance ministry, which was earlier housed in the North Block.

Just before the Lok Sabha convened for the day, members ambled into the chamber for the Sunday Budget presentation, exchanging greetings. BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar was seen taking selfies with fellow party members.

Several BJP leaders and ministers were also seen gathered around Home Minister Amit Shah, exchanging notes. DMK leader K Kanimozhi briefly walked up to Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for a short chat.

On the opposition benches, several members gathered around NCP-SP member Supriya Sule to offer condolences over the death of her cousin and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash on January 28.

Congress members Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Hibi Eden, Tariq Anwar, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD MP Misa Bharti, RSP member N K Premachandran, among others, were seen speaking to Sule.

Prime Minister Modi was greeted with chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai", "Vande Mataram" and "Har Har Mahadev", which were countered by slogans of "Jai Samvidhan" from the opposition benches.

After the Budget presentation, Sitharaman was congratulated by the prime minister as well as fellow ministers and party leaders.