Nirmala Sitharaman meets social media influencers to discuss Union Budget; netizens call it 'image correction'

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called social media influencers from across Instagram, YouTube, and X to discuss their concerns regarding the Union Budget on July 28.

"Truly privileged to meet Hon FM @nsitharaman ji along with top SM influencers across Bharat, across platforms (Instagram, YouTube, X, etc) where she patiently heard our concerns, our suggestions & answered them frankly," Pallavi C T shared in a post o platform X.

However, this meeting has gathered criticism on social media with netizens accusing the government of meeting only right-wing influencers. Pallavi C T is a co-convenor of BJP Mumbai unit's IT cell, as per her X bio.

Another right-wing social media influencer who tweets from the handle @MumbaichaDon, was also among the SM personalities present in the meeting with Sitharaman.

"Social Media was trolling Nirmala Sitharaman really bad for high taxes. So instead of correcting high taxes, Nirmala Sitharaman decides to meet RW influencers for her image correction," wrote a user on the social media platform.

The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 faced severe criticism.

The Opposition called it a 'kursi bachao budget' driven by political compulsions and claimed that it ignored opposition-ruled states in a bid to appease BJP's allies, mainly mainly the TDP and JD(U).

Industry players, however said that the budget will promote inclusive growth and provide resilience in the economy.

Union Budget 2024 LIVE | Making a record for any Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 7th consecutive Union Budget on July 23, 2024 under the Modi 3.0 government. This Budget brought tax relief for the middle class, while focusing on jobs through skilling, incentivising employers. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analysis only on Deccan Herald. Also follow us on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.