Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on Sunday, 1 February 2026. Following her budget speech, News24 organised a special event named ‘Budget Manthan‘ to analyse the main highlights of the Union Budget 2026.
The event brings together leaders from both the ruling party and the opposition, along with economists and financial experts. The discussion looks at how different sections of society have benefited from the budget, the current state of India’s economy, and how the Modi government plans to move the country forward.
During the discussion, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made up his mind and would even allow the rupee to fall to 100 against the US dollar. Her remarks triggered a sharp political debate during the show.
Participants in Budget Manthan include:
- Gaurav Vallabh, Member, PM Economic Advisory Council
- Ajay Alok, BJP Spokesperson
- Supriya Shrinate, Congress Spokesperson
- Faraaz Kidwai, Samajwadi Party Spokesperson
- Sharad Kohli, Economist
- Amitabh Kant, Former CEO, NITI Aayog
- Sanjay Kathuria, Finance Influencer
- Deepak Wadhwa, Finance Influencer
- Sagar Sinha, Finance Influencer
- Jayant Sinha, Former Minister of State for Finance
Budget Manthan LIVE: Former BJP MP Jayant Sinha on Union Budget 2026-27
“The government has focused on increasing the number of higher education institutions; there are 24 IITs and 21 IIMs.”
“If there is no gold, does that mean there will be no wedding? In India, an average household has 300-400 grams of gold, while someone living in a slum might have 1 kilogram of gold,” says economist Sharad Kohli.
'सोना नहीं है तो क्या शादी नहीं होगी, भारत में हर घर में औसतन 300-400 ग्राम सोना, झुग्गी वाले के पास 1 किलो सोना: अर्थशास्त्री Sharad Kohli◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर सबसे बड़ी बहस @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan | #news24manthan pic.twitter.com/Th7YqMU7qn
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
News 24 के मंथन मंच पर सुप्रिया श्रीनेत ने 'Dead Economy' का मतलब समझाया ◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर सुनिए कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता सुप्रिया श्रीनेत को@SupriyaShrinate | @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan | #bjp | #news24manthan pic.twitter.com/kORvGZ3oac
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
"कांग्रेस को डोनाल्ड ट्रंप से बहुत प्यार है"◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर बीजेपी प्रवक्ता @alok_ajay ने कहा @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan | #bjp | #news24manthan | News24 Manthan pic.twitter.com/SLjLP8NIvy
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
'नेहरू-नेहरू-नेहरू'...लाइव डिबेट में नेहरू पर हुई तीखी बहस ◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर सबसे बड़ी बहस @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan @alok_ajay | #news24manthan @SupriyaShrinate pic.twitter.com/D84hkjJ0yv
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
"वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण बजट के दौरान शुतुरमुर्ग बन गईं"◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता सुप्रिया श्रीनेत ने कहा @SupriyaShrinate | @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan | #bjp | #news24manthan pic.twitter.com/yKCRdzGC54
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
"वित्त मंत्री निर्मला सीतारमण बजट के दौरान शुतुरमुर्ग बन गईं"◆ News24 के मंथन मंच पर कांग्रेस प्रवक्ता सुप्रिया श्रीनेत ने कहा @SupriyaShrinate | @ManakGupta | #news24budgetmanthan | #bjp | #news24manthan pic.twitter.com/yKCRdzGC54
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 2, 2026
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that when PM Narendra Modi came to power, the value of the rupee was around 58 against the US dollar, but it has now fallen to about 92. She added that it seems PM Modi has decided to allow the rupee to cross 100 as well, just like petrol prices have already crossed the 100 mark in many places.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh played a major role in shaping India’s economy as Finance Minister. He said Singh opened up the economy, and without these reforms, India would still be far behind.
Gaurav Vallabh explained the reasons behind his decision to leave the Congress party. Speaking during a discussion, he said that major global agencies believe India is driving the world’s economic growth. He added that anyone living in India who still thinks the country’s economy is dead is mentally unwell. His comments sparked strong political reactions and fresh debate.
'I will certainly take every step needed for the good of the country, society, and myself,' said Gaurav Vallabh.
