Has Interim Budget been leaked? Congress alleges serious ‘breach of secrecy’

The Congress on Friday alleged that the Budget has been leaked. Party spokesperson Manish Tewari said, “Since morning, government sources have been sending Budget pointers to media houses. Now if these pointers are there in the finance minister's speech then it tantamounts to a leak. It would be a serious issue of breach of secrecy.” The former I&B minister posted a number of screenshots on Twitter and suggested that should the pointers mentioned in the images were to be part of the budget, it can then amount to a 'budget leak'.

These pointers are being Circulated to Media people by Govt Sources . If all this or substantive amount of these proposals find reflection in the budget would it not tantamount to a BUDGET LEAK ? @RahulGandhi @AICCMedia @INCIndia @PTI_News @ndtv @IndiaTodayFLASH @MallikarjunINC pic.twitter.com/uPgAMjszNG

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 1, 2019

Earlier today, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said "only ‘Jumlas’ will come out today". In a veiled attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government Kharge criticised the Centre's attempt to introduce the populist schemes, saying the Budget 2019 will be presented keeping an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections only.

In an apparent reference to the earlier budgets presented by the Modi government between 2014 and 2018, the former Railway miniterfurther said, "Budgets they have presented so far have not really benefitted general public". "They have only 4 months when will they implement the schemes?" Kharge reiterated.