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‘There is a conspiracy…’: External Affairs Minister Sitharaman attacks opposition over ‘budget halwa’ row | India News
NEW DELHI: There is a conspiracy to divide this society into compartments behind questions on how many SC/ST or OBC employees are part of the halwa ceremony and budget preparation, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during her reply on Budget 2024.
Sitharaman was reacting to comments made by Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
While Rahul cited the “chakravyuha” (trap) from Mahabharata to attack the Modi 3.0 government, he showed a picture of the “halwa ceremony” that was held at the Finance Ministry ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget, as per tradition.
“This photo shows budget ka halwa being distributed in this photo. I can’t see any OBC, tribal or Dalit officers here. 20 officers prepared the budget… Hindustan ka halwa 20 logon ne baatne ka kaam kiya hai…” he said.
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The remark prompted Sitharaman, who was also in the House, to cover her face with a smile.
Stating that previous Congress governments and leaders like former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru or Rajiv Gandhi were strongly against reservations, the Finance Minister on Tuesday attacked the Opposition for raising questions over who was involved in the halwa ceremony.
She also asked how many SC/ST or OBC trustees are there in the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation or the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.
Meaning of halwa ceremony
On Tuesday, Sitharaman also went into detail about the significance of the halwa ceremony.
It marks the beginning of the Budget printing process and is seen as a gesture of appreciation to the officials and teams involved in the arduous task of compiling the budget documents, the minister said.
After the ceremony, officials and staff involved in the budget-making process will be confined to their offices until the budget is presented in Parliament. This seclusion is intended to maintain confidentiality and prevent leaks or premature disclosure of budget proposals, she added.
The preparation and sharing of sweets like halwa has cultural significance in many Indian ceremonies and festivals. By incorporating this ritual into the budget preparation process, the ceremony bridges the gap between tradition and modern governance practices, the minister said.