Budget 2019 'bereft of any reforms', is an insipid budget: P Chidambaram

Describing the Union Budget as "insipid" and "old wine in a new bottle", the Congress on Friday alleged that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman belied expectations and gave no "meaningful relief" to any section of society. Terming the budget "insipid", Chidambaram said that belying widespread expectations, the finance minister has given no meaningful relief to any section of society. "The Modi government treats India as one big state government and has taken upon itself to do things that are the right and duty of state governments. This is not cooperative federalism, it is an unequal partnership imposed by the Centre upon state governments," Chidambaram said.