The Union Budget punishes genuine taxpayers: Abhishek in Parl

Today at the Lok Sabha, Trinamul Congress MP and party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee today tore down on the central government over the Union Budget and said that it punishes the genuine taxpayers.

“I rise here today not just as an MP, but as the voice of billions who were promised ‘Achchhe Din’ and who today struggle to survive under the pressure of soaring costs. “This Budget does not heal the economy; it merely curates headlines. It rewards those who can evade taxes through privilege and punishes those who pay taxes honestly. The finance minister appears to be practising the Robin Hood model in reverse. She drains the poor through taxation and inflation while rewarding the rich with concessions and privileges. Even a cup of tea comes with GST, but relief for the common man comes with conditions, clauses, terms, and regulations. This is not a simple tax regime. This is a maze where only the powerful know the exit, while the honest taxpayer keeps paying the fee,” said Abhishek.

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He added that Akhilesh ji spoke before me and raised the question of what has been given to Uttar Pradesh. However, in the 85 minutes of the finance minister’s speech, Bengal was not even mentioned once. Even the freight corridor from Dankuni referenced in this Budget was actually announced by the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee, who is now the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

The Constitution promises equality among States, but this government practises preference. Allies are funded, while opponents are starved. This is not a model of cooperative federalism, but of subscription-based federalism. The Budget, and the manner in which the government chooses to function, forces us to confront a truth that we, the citizens, have been avoiding, he said.

“Sir, I come from a part of India that gave birth to many revolutionaries, where courage ran in our blood. I also come from an India where saying “Joy Bangla” or “Amar Sonar Bangla” is enough to label you a ghuspaithiya.

Abhishek said that he comes from an India where the finance minister proudly declares that India is the fastest-growing economy. He said Bengal, which contributed Rs 6.5 lakh crore in taxes in just the last seven years, has been denied its rightful share. Despite continuous appeals, employment under MNREGA has been withheld, housing under PM Awas Yojana has been stopped, road connectivity under Gram Sadak Yojana has been blocked, and even basic drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission has been stalled.

Talking of Bengal’s growth story, Abhishek said the state boasts of maximum governance and minimum government. “I come from an India where governance means abandonment, where the poorest are forced to fight for roti, kapda, aur makaan, where wages are held hostage, and where houses are sanctioned on paper but erased in practice,” he said.

Today, India lives under triple pressure, triple taxation, and triple betrayal. “Let me place before this House my principles of the ‘triple’. Triple Tax Trap is where an ordinary citizen believes they pay tax just once, but in reality, they pay tax three times,” he said.

Every day, nearly 30 farmers die by suicide as policies continue to fail them, he said. Five years after the historic farmers’ movement, which claimed 700 lives, the Union government has still not legalised MSP, despite assurances given at the protest sites and in Parliament. “Adding salt to injury, the government has signed a deal with the United States that opens Indian markets to heavily subsidised American farm produce. It may benefit American farmers, but it will depress prices, destroy competitiveness, and further marginalised Indian farmers. This is an abandonment of our annadata,” he said.