New Delhi, Feb 11 – In a sharp rebuttal, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of unfairly criticizing the Congress-led UPA government, alleging that it had compromised India's interests before international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and "sold" the interests of the poor and farmers.
She stated that the Congress had not only betrayed the interests of the poor and farmers, but also the nation itself.
Echoing sentiments expressed by her Cabinet colleague Kiren Rijiju, Sitharaman said, "No one has the audacity to sell or buy out India."
Sitharaman also referred to the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Statement, accusing the previous regime of diluting India's position on sovereignty and security in its engagement with Pakistan.
She emphasized that those who sought to negotiate with Pakistan at Sharm-el-Sheikh were now offering suggestions, stating, "It is the Congress that sold the government, farmers, and the nation. It was you who linked India with Pakistan."
"As Kiren Rijiju rightly said, no one has ever been born who can sell India. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never do such a thing," she added.
In response to the debate on the Union Budget 2026-27 in the lower house, Sitharaman alleged that India had compromised on the peace clause at the Bali, Indonesia WTO meeting during then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure.
She further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will always act in India's interest, while the Congress had surrendered to the WTO and exploited the poor and farmers during its regime when it signed the Bali agreement in 2013, which had two main pillars – the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and Public Stockholding (Food Security).
Dismissing concerns over artificial intelligence and data raised by Rahul Gandhi, she said, "I want to emphasize that we are incentivizing the establishment of cloud and data centers in India, so that data is stored here and our youth gets employment opportunities."
The India AI Mission has a dedicated allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for 2026-27, she said.
To counter the weaponization of energy and finance, she said the government has already allocated appropriate funds in the budget, but the Leader of the Opposition and the Congress have not reviewed the documents before raising concerns in the House.
"Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also raised concerns about geopolitics, energy, and the weaponization of finance. He said that the budget acknowledges these challenges, but he didn't read the budget and the steps announced in it to address these challenges," she said.
The budget explains variations in expenditure by pointing to a transfer to an "Economic Stabilization Fund" specifically to meet unanticipated expenditure arising from "volatile global dynamics", she added, noting that Rs 50,000 crore was allocated in the current financial year 2025-26.
To counter the weaponization of technology and finance, Rs 9,800 crore has been allocated to this new fund, she said.
To insulate India from energy weaponization, the budget pushes for autonomy through critical minerals (customs duty exemptions), nuclear power (projects with allocation of Rs 2,500 crore), and a National Green Hydrogen Mission with the allocation of Rs 600 crore, she added.
In response to concerns expressed by the Opposition regarding food security and energy security, she stated that Rs 2.27 lakh crore is allocated for food subsidies, ensuring that basic food security remains a priority and 80 crore people receive support.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries sees its budget rise to Rs 4,064 crore, with a specific focus on the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme, she said.
There is a new allocation of Rs 350 crore, specifically for "support for high value agriculture". This includes measures for coconut, cashew, cocoa, sandalwood, she said.
The food inflation is at a multi-year low as against the double-digit food inflation during the UPA regime, she said.
Observing that the Budget also introduces targeted relief for SEZ manufacturing units impacted by global trade disruptions, she said a one-time measure allows eligible SEZ units to sell goods in the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional duty rates instead of standard customs duties.
Customs reforms aim to boost export competitiveness through trust-based governance and reduced compliance.
To support MSMEs and artisans, the Rs 10 lakh value cap on courier exports is being removed. A unified digital clearance window will be operational by April 2026.
Responding to Opposition claims, she said that cess and surcharge collected by the Centre are given to the states for development work in various sectors, and this is separate from the 41 per cent of funds allocated to the states.
"We are willing to work with states for mega textile parks, particularly looking at industrial textiles, which are going to be 'new age', which are now becoming a part of the manufacturing sector...whether it's car cushions which is completely made of industrial textiles...so these new age textiles requirements can also be fulfilled.
"I welcome any state, which wants to enter this area. The Centre is willing to collaborate with them," she said.
In the coming year FY 2026-27, the states' share is estimated at Rs 25.44 lakh crore, which will be devolved to them – an increase of Rs 2.7 lakh crore from last year FY 2025-26 as recommended by the Finance Commission.
