Congress Couldn't Criticise Budget: Sitharaman

New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took a jibe at the Congress, saying the grand old party could not find anything to criticise the Budget, and hit out at Kerala and West Bengal governments for alleged financial mismanagement.

In her reply to the discussion on the Finance Bill in the Rajya Sabha, she emphasised that the BJP-led government was focused on tirelessly serving the nation so that common citizens benefited. The minister also alleged that some opposition parties who criticise the Centre were themselves not doing enough for people in states ruled by them.

"Those who are questioning about 'Achhe Din' themselves represent a party which gave the slogan of 'Maa...Maati...Maanush' but haven't done anything for the people," she said while responding to remarks made by TMC members.

In West Bengal, Sitharaman said, the cut money group and the 'Tola Baazi' group do not allow good schemes and deeds to reach the people.

'Tola Baazi' is like a huge iron filter, she said.

"'Achhe Din' for us is tirelessly serving the nation so that common citizens benefit...We are 'Samarpit' (dedicated) towards 'Achhe Din'. And, instead of questioning from a biased political perspective, ask common citizens, anywhere who have directly benefited from our schemes," the senior BJP leader pointed out.

Sitharaman said, "'Achhe Din' haven't arrived yet only for those people for whom governance means corruption and Tola Baazi".

The finance minister also took on Congress leader P Chidambaram for his remarks that 'no one remembers the Budget', saying the grand old party has failed to find anything substantial to criticise her Budget for the fiscal 2025-26.

"This budget has not given enough things with which the Congress is able to thrash or hit the government saying, Oh, you've not done this. Oh, you've not done this.

"In general, they are unable to pick anything as criticism, and therefore, this generic, 'no one remembers the budget'. I would like to think that was a statement, in a left-handed sort of way, a compliment for the budget," Sitharaman said.

She did not stop only at Congress and TMC, and went on to criticise the LDF and UDF governments in Kerala, saying they both led the state into a 'fiscal crisis'.

"The truth is Kerala's fiscal crisis is a result of both LDF and UDF government's reckless policies and not the fault of the central government," she said brushing aside charges of the Centre stopping funds for the southern state.

She further added that when the Namboodiripad government was thrown out by the Congress..." do remember the day when democracy was killed by an elected government being thrown out, Where were you at that time".

"You are a communist party member, you are sitting in alignment with Congress. Congress is the one which threw it out, you don't even want to remember that. With respect, I will bring Namboodiripad, patron of Communism in India," Sitharaman said.

She informed the members that Kerala has received Rs 1.57 lakh crore between 2014-24, an increase of 239 per cent from the UPA period (2004-14) where they received Rs 46,300 crore. The state also received Rs 2,715 crore for 50 years, interest-free.

"Kerala has never been supported in a better way than this government under Prime Minister Modi's leadership has supported," the finance minister said.

Talking about her Budget for 2025-26, the minister said the Income Tax relief is one of the major things about which many members personally came up to her and thanked her.

"I actually thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi who set me on this task, much before the budget preparation commenced, and he asked to explore the possibilities of helping the middle class and the taxpayers," she said.

Sitharaman further said the tendency of the finance ministry would be to exercise caution and not let go of revenues.

"But, we wanted to use this opportunity (Budget) to show our respect for Indian taxpayers...we have moved towards setting Rs 12 lakh as a threshold up to which no one will have to pay any income tax," she said.

The Rajya Sabha returned the Finance Bill 2025 to the Lok Sabha, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements, thus completing the 2025-26 budgetary exercise that started on February 1.