Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on her way to present the Budget. Power fluid: After Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman concluded her Budget speech, a group of MPs from the southern states got hold of her in Parliament lobby. During their short conversation, the MPs asked Sitharaman what was in the glasses she kept by her side, and kept sipping during the speech. Sitharaman told them that she had coconut water in one glass and Electral (ORS powder) in the other. During her 90-minute Budget speech, Sitharaman finished both drinks.
Cryptic quip: The Budget speech may have avoided political statements, or announcements that were political, but some Opposition MPs were heard making cryptic comments in between. While TMC’s Saugata Roy said there was nothing in the Budget, DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran felt it was a “Gujarat Budget.” He was heard saying, “Why are you calling it a Union Budget? It’s a Gujarat Budget.” When Sitharaman announced that GST collection in January was Rs 1.40 lakh crore — the highest since the inception of GST — Maran said the credit should go to the states, and Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut said it should be given back to states. When Sitharaman lauded the taxpayers, Maran asked whether they had a “choice” despite the difficult times.
Big leap: Former ED joint director Rajeshwar Singh, who has been given a BJP ticket from Sarojini Nagar constituency in Lucknow in the UP polls, was all over the internet on Tuesday. As congratulations poured in from all quarters, his sister, IAS officer-turned-lawyer Abha Singh, posted a video of Singh, where he is seen praying to Lord Shiva, walking in the park in slow-motion, reading newspapers or engaged in the discussion — all the while the soundtrack of ‘Bahubali’ playing in the background. The video has been made by a TV channel and was retweeted by Abha Singh with the comment, “Here comes Rajeshwar Singh, ex #ED.”
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