Tharoor uses cricketing analogy, says budget had no-balls instead of boundaries

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Using cricketing analogies to criticise the Union Budget, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday stated that the financial statement had unnecessary defensive strokes, dropped catches and was marred with no-balls instead of bold boundaries.

Initiating the debate on the matter in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor said that the budget displayed incrementalism and was devoid of any bold proposals.

The Congress leader said that instead of unleashing the animal spirit of the economy to show it as an agile tiger, the budget makes the government "a slow-moving elephant again".

"The lumbering and limping elephant (is) still leashed in fetters as in five years," he said.

Taking a cue from the ongoing cricket World Cup, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, "Instead of bold boundaries, it comprised to defensive strokes, dropped catches and quite a few no balls".

Tharoor said unemployment is at a 45-year high, farmer suicides are continuing, the rates of saving and investment were going down and there was a stagnation in areas such as manufacturing and exports.

Tharoor, who recited couplets several times during his speech, alleged that the government had disregarded the hopes and aspirations of people.

He said the government had squandered away its mandate in the first budget and it was the first time that allocations were not mentioned. The Congress leader also said the budget did not mention the GDP growth rate.

The Union Budget 2019-20 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday.