Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attacks Congress on the budget

New Delhi: In the first reaction to allegations of discrimination in the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dared the Congress to disclose whether it has mentioned every state in the country in the budgets presented by its finance ministers.

“This is a disgusting allegation, the Congress-led opposition is deliberately trying to give an impression to the people that other states (except Andhra Pradesh and Bihar) have not received anything,” the finance minister said in the Rajya Sabha. “I challenge the Congress that they have presented so many budgets, have they ever mentioned all the states.”

She was speaking after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge staged a walkout accusing the government of ignoring non-BJP states in the budget. Responding to the allegations, she said that in every budget, there is no opportunity to name every state of the country.