"India deserves a better Opposition party": FM Sitharaman responds to Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Budget 2026
Feb 02, 2026
"He is the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. I want to take him seriously, and I want to take his observations seriously to see if things can be done better. But most often, I think he shoots from his hip," she said, adding that policy critique must be rooted in facts. According to her, credible opposition is essential for democracy, but it must be backed by "good foundational data" so that the government can respond meaningfully.