Meerut, Feb. 2 -- Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Chaudhary Rakesh Tikait said the 2026 Budget failed to meet the expectations of farmers across the country. He said farmers had hoped for concrete relief measures, but the budget fell short on meeting key demands crucial to their livelihood and financial security. Reacting to the budget provisions, Tikait questioned the selective mention of certain crops from hilly states. He said it remained unclear how much farmers cultivating crops such as walnuts and sandalwood would benefit from the announcements. One of Tikait's strongest criticisms was directed at the absence of a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), a long-standing demand of farmers' unions. He said the failure to include an MSP guarantee law in the Budget was a major setback for farmers, who have repeatedly raised this issue during protests and negotiations with the government. Tikait also highlighted concerns over the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. He said there were expectations that the annual assistance under the scheme would be increased to Rs.12,000, which would have provided meaningful financial relief to farmers facing rising input costs. However, the budget made no such provision. Tikait also raised objections to the budget's emphasis on promoting private schools. He warned that such policies could accelerate the closure of government schools, particularly in rural areas....