TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee Criticizes FM Sitharaman’s Budget Reply as 'Biased and Vindictive'

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee strongly criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s response to the debate on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha, calling it politically motivated and lacking substance.

"Nothing has been said by the Finance Minister. She is blaming all the states, saying they are not spending money. Then what is the central government there for?" Banerjee remarked, questioning the Centre’s role in fund allocation.

Accusing the government of withholding crucial financial data, he stated, "When have you released funds to the states? You have not given the data. Which state is not in a position to spend? You are not releasing the data."

Banerjee also criticized Sitharaman’s comparisons between the current government and the UPA regimes. "She is comparing with UPA 1 and UPA 2. UPA 2 did not work properly, and that is why people rejected them. But now, you have been in power for ten years—tell us what you have done. Nothing."

Calling her reply "completely dissatisfactory," he accused Sitharaman of presenting a "politically motivated, biased, and vindictive" response instead of addressing pressing economic concerns.