Abhishek Banerjee rebuts FM Sitharaman, points to everyday GST burdens on poor

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).

Responding to Ms. Sitharaman’s claim that fresh liquid milk attracts no GST, Mr. Banerjee argued that this exemption was meaningless for families who cannot afford fresh milk. “Perhaps she has not seen the mother who stretches her budget by mixing powdered milk for her infant,” he wrote, noting that powdered milk carries 5% GST. “Zero tax on what she can’t buy, 5% tax on what she’s forced to buy,” he said.

He pointed out that while textbooks are exempt from GST, several items routinely used by students are not. Graph paper, laboratory notebooks and crayons attract 12% GST, he said, arguing that the Finance Minister’s claims ignore the practical needs of schoolchildren.

On healthcare, Mr. Banerjee acknowledged that medical consultation and treatment are tax-free but said critical supporting items are not. “The oxygen cylinder that keeps a COVID patient alive? 12% GST. The insulin injection that prevents a diabetic from dying? 5% GST. The anesthesia for the surgery? 12% GST,” he noted.

He further added that while funeral services are exempt, items used in last rites are not. “The agarbatti we light for our departed? 5% GST. Even grief has a price tag in ‘New India’,” he wrote.

Mr. Banerjee said the gap between what is written in the GST Act and what appears on the grocery bills of poor households highlights the fundamental issue he had raised. “Until you understand the difference...you’ll keep living in your India while we live in ours,” he concluded, saying the Finance Minister had “proved his point better than he ever could”.