Budget 2017: Modi-Jaitley star as Sherlock-Watson as newspapers react

Moneycontrol Bureau
A day after Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2017-18, the country’s major newspapers were largely in agreement that the Finance Minister had not brought out the fireworks, playing it safe and staying the course in his fourth full Budget. 

Earlier, Moneycontrol's report on the Budget stated that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley placed consumers before rigid fiscal discipline as he spelt out a carefully crafted plan to boost people’s spending power, create jobs and improve rural incomes, mixing welfare economics with a new wave of reforms. He offered the most to those at the lowest salary bracket, farmers and small businesses, which endured the demonetisation shock and could also influence the outcome in five upcoming assembly elections.

The event also provided fodder for creativity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaitley being cast in roles of Sherlock and Watson in one paper, and machine gun-wielding sharpshooters in another.

Here’s a round-up of Thursday’s front pages of the country’s major newspapers: