Congress spreading lies that budget ignored Haryana: CM

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday accused Congress leaders of spreading lies that the Union Budget presented on February 1 ignored the state, claiming that they took to social media to oppose it without even understanding the document.

Several Congress leaders from Haryana, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Kumari Selja and Deepender Hooda, have slammed the Union Budget, claiming that it left the state empty-handed. Countering the claims, Saini said at a presser that the inclusive Budget will further accelerate growth in agriculture, industrial development, infrastructure, MSMEs, biopharma, healthcare, rural industries, sports and other sectors in Haryana.

Saini also called the Congress leaders “tweet masters” and said they reacted to the Budget without even going through or understanding the document. “Some of them took to X midway through the Budget presentation in Parliament, claiming that Haryana got nothing,” Saini said. “They also said that nothing has been given to the farmers and the state has been ignored,” Saini said, accusing the Congress leaders of spreading lies.

“I ask the tweet masters, what did Haryana get when the Congress was in power? Rahul Gandhi should say what the Congress provisions for the agriculture sector were. The budget (for agriculture) was only Rs 25,000 crore during their time, which is Rs 1.62 lakh crore now.

“The Congress leaders are experts in telling lies and misleading the public. They lie and then run away,” Saini alleged.  The BJP leader also claimed that those who ruled the country for 55 years and claimed to have undertaken development cared only about their own development, and not the country’s.

“The country has seen development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The all-inclusive Union Budget fulfils the aspirations of the citizens of the country, including farmers, youth, women and the poor,” Saini said.

Talking about Haryana, the chief minister said 20 lakh farmers in the state are benefiting from the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, under which nearly Rs 7,500 crore has been disbursed so far.

“Now you will see how BJP governments are formed in West Bengal and Punjab with a big mandate under Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

Replying to a question, Saini slammed the Opposition for “misleading” the nation on the recent India-US trade deal.

Saini rejected the claim of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, that the trade deal will allow the US to flood the Indian markets with highly-subsidised agricultural products, destroying the country’s farm sector.

“India has got a good trade deal without compromising the interests of the agriculture and dairy sectors. The deal will also prove beneficial for Haryana, which is an agrarian, industrial, and export-oriented state,” Saini said.

Replying to a question, Saini hit out at the BJP’s rivals in Punjab, accusing them of spreading rumours to attack the saffron party on various fronts, especially ahead of next year’s elections in the state.

“To serve their political ends, they spread rumours that the BJP is anti-farmer, anti-Punjab, and anti-Sikh,” he said.

“But the people of Punjab have now understood this. They are seeing how Haryana, which was carved out of Punjab (in 1966), made rapid progress and moved far ahead. Now people will reject their dirty politics,” Saini said.

To another question, the chief minister said that during the INLD’s rule in Haryana, the old-age pension stood at Rs 300 per month, which increased to Rs 1,000 a month under the Congress Government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

“But after the BJP came to power in Haryana, the old-age pension rose to Rs 3,200 per month, marking an increase of Rs 2,200 over 10 years,” Saini said.

“Even the annual income limit has been kept at Rs 3 lakh so that more beneficiaries can be covered,” he added.

To recall, INLD President Abhay Singh Chautala had said that the old-age pension scheme, initiated by the late Devi Lal to uphold the dignity and respect of the elderly, “has been weakened by the current Government in the name of income limits and complex rules”.

Referring to the 16th Finance Commission, Saini said Haryana’s share in Central taxes has increased from 1.093 per cent to 1.361 per cent, a rise of nearly 24.5 per cent.

As a result, Haryana will receive about Rs 20,772 crore in 2026-27, nearly Rs 5,547 crore more than last year, he said.

Over five years, this will translate into nearly Rs 28,000 crore in additional resources, with total receipts nearing Rs 1 lakh crore, the chief minister said.