Budget 2019: Nirmala Sitharaman begins speech with Urdu couplet
Highlights
- Nirmala Sitharaman quoted poet Manzoor Hashmi at the start of her Budget speech
- She is the second woman in the history of independent India to present the Budget
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday began her presentation of Union Budget 2019-2020 with an Urdu couplet by poet Manzoor Hashmi "
Yakeen ho to koi raasta nikalta hai, hawa ki oat (protection) bhi le kar chirag jalta hai", roughly translating as 'where there's a will...there's a way'.
Sitharaman, 59, presenting the Modi 2.0 government's maiden budget in the Lok Sabha, is only the second woman in the history of independent India to present the Union Budget. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first and only woman till now to have presented the Union Budget. In 1970, she presented the Union Budget of India for 1970-71, after she took over the finance portfolio following the resignation of Morarji Desai as finance minister.
In her speech, Sitharaman said India would become a $3 trillion economy this year and expressed confidence the nation would achieve its goals.
Earlier, the finance minister handed over a copy of the Union Budget to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Prior to the presentation, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Budget for 2019-20.
Sitharaman, 59, presenting the Modi 2.0 government's maiden budget in the Lok Sabha, is only the second woman in the history of independent India to present the Union Budget. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first and only woman till now to have presented the Union Budget. In 1970, she presented the Union Budget of India for 1970-71, after she took over the finance portfolio following the resignation of Morarji Desai as finance minister.
मंज़ूर हाशमी का शानदार शेर कहा निर्मला सीतारमण ने- यक़ीन हो तो कोई रास्ता निकलता है हवा की ओट ले कर भी चिराग़ जलता… https://t.co/bDtDqdISPz
— Mukesh Kejariwal (@Mukesh_k) 1562305134000In her speech, Sitharaman said India would become a $3 trillion economy this year and expressed confidence the nation would achieve its goals.
Nirmala Sitharaman discards briefcase, goes for 'bahi-khata'
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday arrived at the Parliament with Union Budget 2019 documents draped in a four-fold red cloth called a 'bahi-khata' (ledger). CEA Krishnamurthy Subramanian explaining the shift from briefcase to red cloth said, "It is in Indian tradition. It symbolizes our departure from slavery of Western thought. It is not a budget but a bahi-khata."
Earlier, the finance minister handed over a copy of the Union Budget to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Prior to the presentation, the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Budget for 2019-20.
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