Whaaat?': At post-budget press conference THIS left Sitharaman amused

• Sitharaman's budget speech on Wednesday saw the usual thumping of benches by members of the ruling coalition, but the loudest applause was reserved for her announcement of income tax relief

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the post-Budget press conference on Wednesday rebuffed the opposition's criticism of the Union Budget 2023 with a 'What?'

What happened here?

Union Budget 2023 was announced by Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Wednesday. After the budget was presented, opposition parties and leaders criticized the budget.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it was a 'big announcement and no delivery' budget.

When a reporter pointed out that the opposition parties had said that Union Budget 2023 was not good enough, FM Sitharaman said, "What'?

Sitharaman was asked by the reporter, "Opposition parties are calling this 'nil batte sannata' budget...they said [it] is not good enough."

At this the Finance Minister pressed the reporter for specifics, seeking details about the opposition's criticism. "For what reason (opposition parties are saying so)...if I know?"

After this, the astonished Finance Minister immediately turned away from this question.

Sitharaman's budget speech on Wednesday saw the usual pews thumped by members of the ruling coalition, but the loudest cheer was reserved for her income tax relief announcement, which was greeted with chants of "Modi, Modi" in the Lok Sabha , in which commotion was also seen. Some examples of protests by the opposition.

Sitharaman's follow-up statement that tax relief would be available only to those opting for the new regime may have dampened spirits, but there was another round of applause from the ruling party when she announced a massive 33 per cent increase in capital expenditure. 10 lakh crores.

The ruling party echoed with the slogans of "Modi-Modi" again and again.

The day witnessed cordiality in the Lok Sabha chamber as National Conference members Farooq Abdullah and Hasnain Masoodi interacted with Home Minister Amit Shah for the day.

Sitharaman's announcement of allocation of ₹5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka was described as a sop for the state which is due for elections in May.

Protests over the announcement of the construction of 50 new regional airports broke into slogans of 'Adani, Adani', an apparent reference to the Adani Group, which operates seven of the eight airports leased by the Airports Authority of India. The mandate to do so was won.