Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman counters Congress on Budget face-off; Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, July 24

In first reaction to the opposition allegations of discrimination in the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman challenged the Congress to reveal whether it mentioned every state of the country in the several budgets its finance ministers presented.

“This is an outrageous allegation, a deliberate attempt of the Congress-led opposition to give an impression to the people that other states (barring Andhra Pradesh and Bihar) have not got anything. I challenge the Congress to say whether they named all states in the many budgets they presented,” Nirmala said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

She was speaking after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of neglecting non-BJP states in the budget and walked out.

Answering the allegations, Nirmala said in every budget one doesn’t have an opportunity to name every state of the country.

“Between vote of account in February and full budget yesterday I have not named very many states. Between the vote on account and yesterday I have not named Maharashtra also. But the union Cabinet under PM Narendra Modi passed a very important decision to build a major port in Maharashtra costing Rs 76,000 crore. Does it mean we have ignored Maharashtra?” the FM asked.

She said if the budget speech doesn’t mention the name of a particular state, that does that mean that the particular state does not get government schemes.

“These things go to states as per routine. This (discrimination allegations) is a deliberate attempt of the opposition parties to give an impression that nothing has been given to all states. I challenge the Congress whether they named all states or the country in their budget session. This is an outrageous allegation,” the FM said, adding that Kharge’s allegations “are not acceptable”.

She said while the opposition TMC has been questioning the budget, the fact is that it has refused to implement several schemes of the Centre in the state.

“Several schemes given by the PM in the last 10 years have not been implemented by West Bengal and you have the audacity to ask me today that nothing has been given,” Sitharaman said countering the opposition.