Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday backed the Budget 2023-24 during a general discussion in Lok Sabha and claimed the budget astutely balances the requirement for India’s development imperatives within the limit of fiscal prudence.

Sitharaman also hit at “an opposition leader” and the Congress for criticising the Union budget.

“We don’t make policies keeping one person in mind unlike an opposition leader claimed. We make policies keeping everyone in mind. We are not the party that supports ‘jeejas and bhatijas’. It is the culture of the Congress,” Sitharaman said, reported news agency ANI.

Speaking on a major goof-up by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot who read out excerpts of the previous budget instead of Budget 2023-24, Sitharaman said, “There is some problem with Rajasthan, they are reading last year’s budget this year. I pray to God that nobody should make such a mistake but today, it happened and so I have to mention it.”

The major goof-up leading to an uproar in the house and an apology from the chief minister who said it was human error. There were two adjournments with the Opposition BJP alleging that the budget had been leaked and the presentation be postponed to another date.

“In simple words, budget 2023-24, astutely balances the requirement for India’s development imperatives within the limit of fiscal prudence. That is a very difficult balance, it is a very delicately balanced tact,” Sitharaman said.

“Since the pandemic when the economy dipped by minus 23, our efforts to recover the economy have been through the capex route (capital expenditure route) from the government’s side. This is because it has a great multiplier effect,” she added.