First time treasury benches forestalled debate: Chidambaram on FM's 'no debate on budget' lament

Congress leader P Chidambaram. File Pic

Congress leader P Chidambaram hit out at the government on Wednesday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed anguish over the Parliament not having a debate on the Union Budget, saying it's for the first time in Indian parliamentary history that the treasury benches started disruption and forestalled debate.

Sitharaman on Tuesday expressed anguish over the Parliament not having a debate on the Union Budget as proceedings in both Houses have been a washout so far and accused the Opposition of resorting to diversionary tactics to distract people's attention from the "success story" of the Indian economy.

In a tweet, Chidambaram said, "Hon'ble FM has lamented that there was no debate in Parliament on the Budget. Who was responsible for the Budget being passed without debate?"

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"It is for the first time in Indian parliamentary history that the Treasury Benches started the din and disruption and forestalled debate," the former finance minister said.

In another tweet, Chidambaram said that according to the World Bank, the five-year average growth of the Modi government (2019-2024) will be 4.08 per cent.

"Even the sequential annual growth rates after the Corona-affected year show a declining trend. The only one boasting about the growth rate is the Government," he said.

In her remarks, Sitharaman had said, "I feel very sad as a debate on the Budget would have given me a chance to explain its various positives."

The Modi government, she asserted, has been presenting "honest and transparent" budgets year after year, she said.

Noting the buoyant direct and indirect revenue collections and inflation hovering around the upper tolerance limit amid a sluggish global economy, Sitharaman said India remains the fastest growing major economy globally.

"The Indian economy is a success story," she had said, citing figures.

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