PM thumps desk 124 times during Sitharaman's shortest-ever budget speech

New Delhi, Feb 1

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday delivered her shortest-ever Budget speech of 86 minutes. This was her fifth budget speech.

Her budget speech in 2022 ended in about 92 minutes, while it was 110 minutes long in 2021.

Sitharaman broke all records in 2020, when she delivered the longest-ever budget speech of 160 minutes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thumped his desk 124 times during the budget speech on Wednesday.

He later said that the first budget of the "Amrit Kaal" provides the foundation to fulfil the resolve for a developed India.

"The first budget of Amrit Kaal will build a strong foundation for building a developed India. It gives priority to the deprived. This budget will fulfil the dreams of an aspirational society including poor people, middle-class people, and farmers. I congratulate Nirmala Sitharaman and his team for this historic budget," he said in a televised address.

Prime Minister Modi described the middle class as a "big force", and said that the government has taken many decisions to empower them.