Raghav Chadha accuses finance minister of misleading public on tax issues

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Monday criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allegedly misleading the middle class with technical jargon during her speech in Parliament.

In a video message, Chadha claimed that the Finance Minister diverted attention from real tax issues and urged her to avoid personal attacks.

Chadha responded to remarks made by Sitharaman during the Union Budget 2025-26 discussion in the Rajya Sabha.

He alleged that the Finance Minister mocked his statements and accused him of misleading the public, despite not being given an opportunity to clarify his position in Parliament.

Chadha clarified that his budget speech covered issues such as problems faced by train passengers, the economic challenges of the middle class, tariffs imposed by the US administration, and the declining Indian rupee.

However, he claimed that the Finance Minister focused solely on his example related to income tax exemptions, which he said was misrepresented.

Explaining his stance, Chadha maintained that the Rs 12 lakh figure he cited was about tax exemption, not deduction.

He said, “If a person earns more than Rs 12 lakh in a financial year, they will have to pay tax on the entire income.” He also explained that modest tax relief is applicable only up to an income of Rs 12.75 lakh, but if the income exceeds this, tax is levied on the total amount.