NEW DELHI: AAP and Congress Tuesday criticised Delhi Budget 2026-27, describing it as “anti-people” and “detached from public concerns”. AAP MLAs also boycotted the first day of the budget session to protest the non-revocation of the suspension of four of its MLAs.Leader of opposition Atishi hit out at BJP govt, saying: “A massive budget of 1 lakh crore, but what could be more shameful than this – that BJP govt’s fire department doesn’t even have a single ‘ladder’ for operations. In Palam, nine people kept crying out for help, the vehicle was there, but the system failed and they lost their lives. This isn’t just negligence; it’s a betrayal of the people. BJP, remember this: you can throw us out of the House, but you can’t silence the voice of Delhiites.”AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said the budget had no timelines for environmental initiatives, such as Yamuna cleaning. He also said govt had allocated Rs 5,100 crore for providing Rs 2,500 to women before March 8, 2025, but the funds were never disbursed. “The same allocation has been repeated this year, which raises doubts about its implementation. What is the use of such announcements if they remain on paper?” said Jha.Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said called the budget a “triple deception” by a “triple engine govt”, alleging that it failed to address key challenges the city was facing. “The budget is heavy on announcements but weak on delivery. A significant portion of last year’s budget remained unspent, which is the evidence of governance incompetence. There has been a decline in central assistance and revenue from centrally-sponsored schemes. Delhi govt’s increased reliance on GST/VAT collections and borrowings will burden Delhi residents,” said Yadav.Calling the “green budget” claim misleading, Yadav said allocations for environment-related sectors had actually been reduced. “There is lack of a clear roadmap on key issues like Yamuna cleaning, garbage management and drinking water because BJP govt lacks direction. It has been repeatedly announcing schemes without implementation, like the announcement of free laptops for students, women welfare schemes, startup initiatives and skill development programmes,” said Yadav.Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the budget will take Delhi to new horizons as it “brings benefits for every section of society”.“This record budget is the largest in Delhi’s history, in which govt’s own revenue will meet about 74% of the expenditure and the remaining 26% has planned heads – meaning it is a self-reliant budget. It’s a budget for a developed Delhi city, with more than 31% dedicated to the maintenance and development of education and health services,” said Sachdeva.Meanwhile, in a letter to Speaker Vijender Gupta, Atishi demanded that the suspension of four AAP MLAs – Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh and Som Dutt – be revoked immediately.“The continued exclusion of elected representatives is an assault on democratic norms and the mandate of the people,” Atishi said, adding the moment the “arbitrary” suspension is revoked, all Opposition MLAs will join the budget session.Speaker Vijender Gupta said the decision was not arbitrary, but a necessary consequence of their continued agitation and misbehaviour during the solemn occasion of LG’s address.
