Parliament Winter Session: TMC accuses Nirmala Sitharaman of misleading Rajya Sabha during excise bill debate

TMC MP Sagarika Ghose at Rajya Sabha. Pic/PTI

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Sagarika Ghose on Thursday alleged that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "misled" the Rajya Sabha about West Bengal during her reply to the discussion on the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, reported PTI.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, accusing it of hurting the growth of the state despite the Centre's full support.

While speaking to the media in the Parliament complex after staging a walkout from the Rajya Sabha over the minister's reply, Ghose called it the "murder of democracy", as per PTI.

Ghose, while slamming the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said that, "Today, what we have witnessed in the Rajya Sabha is a murder of constitutional democracy, a murder of parliamentary democracy. In her reply to the discussion on the Central Excise Amendment Bill 2025, the honourable finance minister repeatedly misled the House about Bengal and repeatedly made unsubstantiated, unauthenticated statements about Bengal, as cited by news agency PTI.

Ghose also said that TMC's floor leader Derek O'Brien wanted to raise a 'point of order', which was not allowed. Furthermore, a 'point of order' is a request by a member of Parliament to draw the chair's attention to a perceived violation of parliamentary rules or procedure.

She asserted, "We saw that our floor leader repeatedly tried to raise 'points of order'. He repeatedly tried to raise a 'point of order' regarding the proceedings. Our floor leader, Mr Derek O'Brien, was repeatedly ignored by the chair," as cited by news agency PTI.

"The point of order was not taken up. This is an insult to Parliament. It is an insult to the entire proceedings of Parliament," Ghose added.

While slamming the ruling party, Ghose also emphasised that, "Today, what we have seen on the floor of the House is nothing but a cold-blooded, horrific murder of constitutional democracy and of democracy and a dishonouring of Parliament, an attempt to defame Bengal, an attempt to insult Bengal, an attempt to insult the people of Bengal, to murder constitutional democracy," as cited by news agency PTI.

Replying to a discussion on the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Rajya Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman further said that West Bengal has never been ignored by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

"In fact, it is the TMC government that is hurting the growth of the people of West Bengal," the Union Finance Minister added.

She also said that West Bengal withdrew from the Ayushman Bharat scheme in January 2019 and questioned, "Is that good for the people of Bengal?" Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman further highlighted that industries are leaving West Bengal.

(With inputs from PTI)