Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday addressed media after presenting Union Budget 2022-23 in the Parliament.

On Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Zer0 sum budget’, the Finance Minister asked him to “please understand the Budget”. She also said that “irresponsible” comments are coming as criticism, especially by the leader of a party, who hasn’t done his homework right.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Union budget and said that it had nothing to offer to the middle classes, youth, farmers or women.

The Union finance minister had called this year’s budget a “blueprint to steer economy from India@75 to India@100”. Congress’s Rahul Gandhi said it was a “Zer0 sum budget”.

Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien hit out at the government saying, “Diamonds are this government’s best friend. For the rest— farmers, middle class, daily earners, unemployed— this is a PM (Does Not) Care Budget2022″.

Also read: Budget 2022: Retail sector seek policies to boost demand

On Tuesday, Lok Sabha members heard Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 90-minute budget speech in rapt attention, barring the occasional remarks by opposition members and regular applause from the treasury benches.

Keeping in line with changing times, Sitharaman read out the speech from a ‘Made in India’ tablet personal computer which she carried in a red cover with the National Emblem embossed on it, instead of a brief case or ‘Bahi Khata’.

As Sitharaman walked into the Lok Sabha chamber, women ministers Shobha Karandlaje and Darshana Jardosh and member from Madhya Pradesh Riti Pathak were seen greeting her, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave her a thumbs up.

Also read: Congress’ P Chidambaram slams PM Modi over Pegasus spyware controversy

With Covid pandemic guidelines in force, members were seated in the chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Most of the members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were seen wearing face masks. However, members had crowded the Lok Sabha chamber, while hardly a handful of others, including union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal, were seen seated in the Rajya Sabha chamber.