Watch: Shashi Tharoor uses Coldplay wordplay to mock Nirmala Sitharaman on Budget 2025

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took a creative dig at the Union Budget 2025 by using British rock band Coldplay’s song names to highlight his concerns regarding the financial roadmap presented by the government. In an Instagram video titled “Cold’ play take on the Union Budget,” Tharoor blended humour, music, and policy critique to express his displeasure over the fiscal measures that were announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. While holding the budget papers in his hand, Tharoor, who wore blue goggles, mocked Sitharaman: “Coldplay said ‘Fix You,’ but the Finance Minister said ‘Tax You’ and then politely asks you to adjust.” Furthermore, Tharoor said that the budget resembled The Scientist – “If only the budget shone as brightly as Coldplay's lyrics. But don’t worry, they’ll still tell us, ‘Look at the stars, look at how they are shining for you,’ while conveniently dimming the lights on reality - and on our bank accounts.” Apart from his Coldplay wordplay, Tharoor used his caption to address key economic concerns: “As the budget debate wraps up, let’s cut through the noise and face the facts: The GST still crushes essential items, income tax cuts are framed as a favour, and fuel prices remain a tangled mess of VAT, excise, and state taxes - with no real effort to fix the system.