Chidambaram Deflects Trump Parallels, Delivers Scathing Assessment of Budget 2026's Strategic Deficiencies

In a high-stakes press briefing following the presentation of Budget 2026, senior opposition figure P. Chidambaram engaged in a rigorous interrogation of the government's fiscal blueprint, while deftly sidestepping attempts to draw him into commentary on former U.S. President Donald Trump. When questioned on Trump's recent economic criticisms, Chidambaram curtly dismissed the parallel with a pointed disavowal of any role as a 'Trump press secretary,' refocusing the discourse squarely on domestic policy. His analysis was unsparing: he characterized the budget as a document lacking in coherent economic strategy and statesmanship. Chidambaram systematically challenged the government's narrative, highlighting concerns over a proposed rare earths corridor, expressed environmental apprehensions, and criticized perceived reductions in education funding and a comparative decline in defence expenditure relative to previous administrations. He further underscored issues of rural distress, though notably avoided engagement on tangential geopolitical matters such as Venezuelan oil. The session crystallized into a formal indictment of the budget's foundational logic, framing it as an opportunity missed for substantive, strategic economic governance.