Budget 2024: Abhishek Banerjee clashes with LS speaker over Nehru, Emergency

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee clashed with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday over the issue of three farm laws, demonetisation, Nehru and the Emergency.

Banerjee, representing West Bengal's Diamond Harbour and the second-in-command in West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's party, asserted in his speech that the House did not discuss the three farm laws that were later repealed, claiming they were passed "without any consultation with farmers, farmers' organisations, or Opposition parties".

The Speaker intervened, stating, "Let's set the record straight, this House discussed the issue for five-and-a-half hours." When Banerjee persisted that no discussion took place, Birla firmly replied, "When the Speaker speaks, he speaks right. You correct yourself." Banerjee continued to stand by his statement, prompting Birla to reiterate, "When I speak, I don't speak wrong."

Banerjee's address targeted the Narendra Modi government over the Budget, eliciting responses from the treasury benches, particularly BJP MPs from Bengal.

The TMC general-secretary criticised the Budget for lacking "clarity of vision" and accused it of aiming to satisfy BJP coalition partners rather than providing any relief to the country's 140 crore people.

"This is a Budget planned by two individuals to keep another two in good faith," he said, describing it as "planned by two, executed for two." Banerjee further condemned the "anti-people" budget, claiming it was crafted to "bribe two political parties and buy time before the government implodes."

The Trinamool MP was referring to Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar, whose support secured the BJP the necessary numbers to form the government after their tally dropped in the general election. Opposition parties argue that the Budget 2024 was particularly generous to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, both ruled by the BJP's key allies, while other states received little substantial support.

Earlier today, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the TMC's criticism of the Budget. "Yesterday, the TMC questioned the Budget, saying nothing has been given to Bengal. Let me highlight that several schemes introduced by the Prime Minister in the last 10 years have not even been implemented in West Bengal. And you have the audacity to ask me now?" she said in the Rajya Sabha.

In response, Banerjee challenged the finance minister to release a white paper detailing how much money the Centre has allocated to Bengal since the BJP's defeat in the 2021 state polls. He also pointed out that the Centre has withheld MGNREGA funds and that lakhs of houses sanctioned under the PM Awas Yojana in Bengal are awaiting Central funds.