Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday (February 12, 2026) responded sharply to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remark that he had “twisted facts” in his recent speech, asserting that the Centre was ignoring the day-to-day tax burden faced by ordinary families.
Answering the debate on the Union Budget, Ms. Sitharaman had accused Mr. Banerjee of twisting facts and also rejected allegations by Trinamool MPs that West Bengal did not find a mention in the Union Budget, stating that “it is a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation”. She also countered the Trinamool MP’s comment that GST has to be paid even after death, saying that there is no GST on funeral services and “maybe it’s the syndicate running in West Bengal, which will be charging cut money on death”.
In a post on X, Mr. Banerjee said he was grateful that the Finance Minister had listened “carefully” to his speech, but added that he wished she would listen “as carefully to the people of Bengal” seeking the release of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
