FM Sitharaman counters DMK; Oppn mulls notice for removal of Speaker

As Budget debate triggers sharp exchanges in Parliament, Sitharaman rebuts DMK charges while the Opposition considers a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

On a day of several developments, including the Opposition expressing its intent to move a resolution for the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday countered criticism from a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) that the Union Budget 2026-27 ignored Tamil Nadu.

 

While the Lok Sabha could not transact any business because of Opposition protests, the Rajya Sabha took up a discussion on the Budget.

 

Participating in the debate, the DMK, which is the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, and AIADMK, a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), targeted each other over the announcements and projects for their state.

 

 

Assembly polls are scheduled in the state in April-May.

 

In his speech, DMK MP P Wilson called upon the Prime Minister and Finance Minister “to be fair to Tamil Nadu”. He also accused the government of “abject surrender” to the US in striking a “one-sided” trade deal and demanded that it disclose the specifics of the pact.

 

In her response, Sitharaman said the Budget had several announcements, including the ‘rare earth corridor’ and girls hostels in every district, that would benefit the state. She said “sweeping statements”, like the one that the DMK MP made, that too “without any basis, link with the Budget which has been presented only eight days ago, is not right at all.”

 

She highlighted other Budget announcements related to the coconut scheme and fishermen, saying they will also benefit Tamil Nadu, among other states.

 

Initiating the discussion on the Budget in the Rajya Sabha (RS), senior Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned the government for cutting capital expenditure in 2025-26 when the public sector, private sector and foreign investors are not investing in India.

 

He termed Union Budget 2026-27 a “forgettable Budget”. He said the government has cut allocations for agriculture and rural development. “This is a forgettable Budget, which has been prepared by a finance minister, who forgot her promises made in this House last year,” Chidambaram said.

 

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday afternoon amid the continuing stand-off between the government and the Opposition over Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's demand that he be allowed to speak before the discussion on the Union Budget begins.

 

When the House met at 2 pm after two adjournments, Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, asked Congress member Shashi Tharoor to initiate the debate on the Budget.

 

Tharoor told the Chair that Gandhi, being the LoP, should be allowed to raise certain points before he starts his speech.

 

Ray said she had no issues if Gandhi wanted to speak on the Budget and asked him to begin. Gandhi said at a meeting between Speaker Om Birla and some Opposition MPs, an agreement was reached that he would be allowed to raise certain points before the Budget discussion. However, the Chair was now reneging on its word, he claimed.

 

Ray said she was not aware of any such agreement and that she could not allow anyone to raise any issue without notice.

 

At this point, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju intervened, saying there was no such agreement and if the LoP wanted to say something about the Speaker, then Birla should also be present in the House to respond.

 

With both sides refusing to relent, Ray adjourned the House for the day.

 

Addressing the media inside the Parliament House complex, Gandhi said those claiming that there was a threat to the prime minister from Congress’ women MPs last Thursday should “file an FIR” against the persons threatening Modi. He said the government is scared of having a discussion on the Budget because of the issue of the US deal, the way it was done, and its impact on farmers. Gandhi said the reason the PM didn’t come to the Lok Sabha and reply to the motion of thanks to the President’s address “because he cannot face the truth” and of “being handed (former Army chief General M M) Naravane's book”.

 

In another development, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said he had submitted a breach of privilege notice against Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal for sharing details of an interim trade deal between India and the US in a media interview while Parliament was in session. Siva raised the issue soon after the Rajya Sabha met at 11 am and papers were tabled. Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said he would look into it.

 

The opposition, according to sources, is considering moving a resolution to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from office for disallowing Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders from speaking in the House on the motion of thanks to the president's address, as well as for the suspension of eight MPs. Sources said a notice for the resolution is likely to be given under Article 94-C of the Constitution, and over 100 opposition MPs have already signed it. But not all Opposition parties are on board yet with the Trinamool Congress keen on taking up the special intensive revision (SIR) issue in the House and the Samajwadi Party wanting to highlight the alleged insult of Malwa queen Ahilyabai Holkar.

 

On Monday, Gandhi along with Trinamool’s Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and DMK's T R Baalu, met Speaker Birla soon after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day to work out a solution and end the stalemate. Women Congress MPs have written to Birla over the “unsubstantiated allegations” made by him against them. In the letter by several women MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, they objected to charges made by the Speaker.