New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi on Friday claimed the Union Budget 2025-26 failed to address farmers' grievances and tried to maintain fiscal deficit at the cost of social sector schemes.

Initiating the discussion on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha on behalf on Congress, the Patiala MP also called it "unilateral" in nature as states were "not allowed to participate in the Budget making process".

The expenditures towards health and education were stagnating, and the government contained fiscal deficit at the cost of social sector schemes, he claimed.

As the Lok Sabha took up discussions on the Budget, Congress members demanded the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the House.

Dilip Saikia, who was chairing the proceedings, pointed out that Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was present (in the House), and that there was no such rule under Parliament proceedings that made the presence of the finance minister mandatory during Budget discussions.

To this, Congress leader KC Venugopal contended that as per convention, the finance minister remains present in the House whenever Budget discussions are initiated, As the Congress MPs rose to their feet, Speaker Om Birla took over the House proceedings from Saikia, and assured the protesting members that he will "ensure" in future that whenever Budget discussions are initiated, the finance minister is present in the House.

He added that there is a concept of "collective responsibility" in the council of ministers, and it doesn't matter if a Cabinet minister or a minister of state is present in the House when discussions are taking place.

"There is no rule/regulation in this regard. This ia only a convention," Birla said, asking the Congress members not to debate the issue further.

Soon after, Sitharaman joined the House proceedings.

In his speech said, Gandhi also claimed the Budget "neglected" the farm sector by not announcing any loan waiver or insurance scheme for the farmers.

"It failed to address the grievances of the farmers," he said, adding that the "misplaced priorities" of the government led to the closure of MSME units across the country.

Participating in the discussion, BJP MP from Jaipur Rural Rao Rajendra Singh claimed the Centre gave maximum benefits to the middle class compared to any other government of the past.

In the last five years, individual taxpayers have been given benefits of about Rs 8.71 lakh crore, while the corporate taxpayers have been given benefits worth about Rs 4.53 lakh crore, Singh said.

"While foreign investors are willing to invest in India, the opposition members are doubting the country's economic potential," he said. PTI JD ARI

Budget-making participation: alleged exclusion of states and reliance on convention for finance minister presence sparked parliamentary debate over fiscal priorities. A Congress MP criticised Union Budget 2025-26 for not addressing farmers' grievances, alleging no loan waiver or insurance measures and contending that fiscal deficit containment came at the cost of social sector expenditures and contributed to MSME closures. The debate also raised procedural issues: Congress argued states were excluded from the Budget process and stressed the convention of the finance minister's presence during Budget discussions, while the Speaker described such attendance as a convention tied to collective ministerial responsibility and pledged to ensure ministerial presence in future Budget debates.