Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sweeping and emotive attack on the BJP-led Union govt during the Lok Sabha discussion on the Union Budget, accusing it of institutionalising inequality, weakening federalism and deepening what he described was the reality of “Two Indias”.Drawing repeatedly on the theme popularised by comedian Veer Das, Banerjee said the Budget and the govt’s broader politics forced citizens to confront a divided nation. “I come from an India that proclaims ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, and I also come from an India where speaking Bengali makes you a Bangladeshi, where eating fish makes you a Mughal, and where saying ‘Jay Bangla’ is enough to brand you a ‘ghuspaithiya’,” he told the House, drawing sharp reactions from the treasury benches.
The TMC national general secretary alleged that the Budget rewarded the powerful while subjecting ordinary citizens to what he termed was a “triple tax trap” — income tax, GST and inflation. Using a life-cycle analogy, Banerjee said Indians were taxed from “a baby’s first milk to a family’s final rites”, arguing that taxation now “follows life itself”.Even essentials like tea, education, healthcare, fuel and pensions were taxed, while relief for the common man came “with conditions, clauses and fine print”, he said.Banerjee accused the Centre of practising “subscription-based federalism”, claiming that BJP-governed and allied states were favoured while opposition-governed states, particularly West Bengal, were systematically deprived of funds. He said Bengal contributed over Rs 6.5 lakh crore in taxes over 7 years but was denied dues under schemes like MGNREGA, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and rural roads. “This is not cooperative federalism. This is punishment politics,” he said.Referring to elections in 2016, 2021 and 2024, Banerjee said BJP suffered “3 decisive defeats” in Bengal and warned that a fourth was approaching. “You want to freeze our funds, we will persist. You want to deprive our youth, we will protect them. Bengal’s spine was never bent by surrender,” he said.The TMC MP also criticised cuts and underutilisation in social sector spending, alleging that healthcare expenditure remained at around 0.26% of GDP, far below the National Health Policy target of 2.5%. He accused the govt of prioritising “flyovers over first aid, optics over oxygen”. In agriculture, he said there was no assurance on MSP, diesel subsidy or fertiliser relief, while PM-Kisan assistance remained stagnant at Rs 6,000 since 2018 despite rising input costs.On democracy and institutions, Banerjee alleged that Parliament was “silenced”, investigative agencies were used to intimidate the opposition, and public assets were sold off without accountability. He also raised concerns over delays in data release and dilution of the RTI Act.Concluding his speech, Banerjee invoked the Constitution, stressing that “We, the people of India” was not a ceremonial phrase but a declaration of sovereignty. “Budgets can divide and politics can polarise,” he said, “but as long as people remember where power truly lies, no fear can last.”
