Sitharaman 'misled' Rajya Sabha with unsubstantiated Bengal claims during Excise Bill reply; TMC walkout over denied points of order.
Replaces GST cess on tobacco post-2026; ensures 41% state share, promotes crop diversification; passed Lok Sabha Dec 3.
TMC demands ₹1.75 lakh crore dues clarity; echoes INDIA bloc's Session protests on SIR and federal funds.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Sagarika Ghose on Thursday accused Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of "misleading" the House with "unsubstantiated and unauthenticated statements" about West Bengal during her reply to the discussion on the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, terming it a "murder of parliamentary democracy." Speaking to media in the Parliament complex after TMC's walkout, Ghose highlighted repeated attempts by floor leader Derek O'Brien to raise points of order, alleging violations of parliamentary procedure, which were disallowed by the Chair.
The Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on December 3, seeks to replace the GST compensation cess on tobacco and pan masala products post-2026, ensuring 41% revenue share to states while encouraging farmers to shift from tobacco cultivation. In her Rajya Sabha reply, Sitharaman asserted that West Bengal "has never been ignored" by the Modi government, citing increased allocations and development initiatives.
Ghose countered that the FM's claims ignored Bengal's pending dues of ₹1.75 lakh crore in GST compensation and other funds, demanding clarity on whether the Centre owes the state this amount.
The confrontation unfolded amid broader Winter Session disruptions, with TMC MPs joining the INDIA bloc's protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. O'Brien, during the debate, pressed Sitharaman on the non-expenditure of cess revenues, a point echoed by AAP's Sandeep Pathak.
The Rajya Sabha returned the Bill to Lok Sabha after passage, with Sitharaman clarifying it aims to streamline taxation without increasing burdens.
This episode intensifies TMC's ongoing feud with the Centre over fiscal federalism, as Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly highlighted delayed funds impacting state schemes.
