Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman strongly rejected the Opposition’s criticism that the Union Budget showed a ‘political bias’ in favor of NDA-governed states, asserting that all states received equitable and dedicated funding.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman clarified that the omission of a state’s name in the Budget speech does not imply that it has been excluded. She criticized opposition parties, including the Congress, for creating the false impression that states governed by non-NDA parties were being neglected.
“Has the Congress ever listed every state in their budget speeches? This accusation is completely unfounded,” Sitharaman challenged.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc had condemned the Budget as discriminatory and claimed it was favoring BJP-governed states, citing the substantial allocations for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Sitharaman rebutted these claims, using Maharashtra as an example to illustrate the government’s fair distribution of resources.
“The decision to establish a major port in Vadhavan, Maharashtra, under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, involved an investment of ₹76,000 crore. Does the absence of Maharashtra's mention in my speech imply that the state is overlooked?” she asked.
She further emphasized that the omission of specific states in a speech does not mean they are excluded from government schemes and programs. Sitharaman criticized the Congress for attempting to mislead the public, pointing out that they themselves had not always mentioned every state in their budget speeches during their time in power.
As Trinamool Congress members returned to the House during her address, Sitharaman responded to their criticisms of the Budget’s treatment of West Bengal by noting that several central schemes announced by the Prime Minister over the past decade had not been implemented in the state. She questioned their audacity in making such claims.
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