Parliament session day 12 highlights: No inflation crisis in India today, Sitharaman says in Rajya Sabha
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 highlights: The Finance Minister said inflation has never been lower than what it is today, and also compared the unspent amount during a ten-year period for the UPA and NDA governments.
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 highlights: While addressing the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there was no inflation crisis in India today, saying it was “not by chance”, but had been tackled by strategy....Read More
The Finance Minister said inflation has never been lower than what it is today.
Sitharaman also compared the unspent amount during a ten-year period for the UPA and NDA governments. Sitharaman said the unspent amount during the UPA government between 2004-2014 stood at 94,060 crore, and the same money during NDA government had reduced to 37,064 between 2014-2024.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after 5 pm amid Opposition uproar over remarks against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey had earlier accused Rahul of misleading the nation and moved a substantive motion against him in the Parliament, seeking termination of his Parliamentary membership and a lifetime ban on the Congress leader from contesting elections.
Nishikant Dubey was speaking to reporters outside the parliament when he said, “I have moved a motion in Lok Sabha today against Rahul Gandhi on how he is misleading the nation with the help of forces like (George) Soros, who want to harm the nation.”
He was referring to Hungarian-American billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros, who is often accused by right-wing organisations worldwide of supporting liberal causes.
The BJP MP’s action comes a day after Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech, in which he accused the ruling government of compromising India’s national interests in the trade deal with the United States, saying, “You have sold India.”
Earlier, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said BJP members would file a Breach of Privilege notice against Gandhi “for misleading the House and also making baseless statements”.
However, Dubey said he has chosen to pursue a different course of action than a privilege notice – a substantive motion, which initiates discussion on significant issues.
Sources also told HT that the government will not move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi but will seek expungement of more words and lines from his speech from the records.
Farmers' voice ‘completely ignored’ when taking decisions on their future: Rahul
A day after a heated exchange in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took to social media platform X, asserting that he stands “firmly with the issues of workers and farmers and with their struggle.”
“Today, millions of workers and farmers across the country are on the streets, raising their voice for their rights. Workers fear that the four Labour Codes will weaken their rights. Farmers are apprehensive that trade agreements will strike a blow to their livelihood,” the Congress leader said.
Rahul further said that weakening MGNREGA would take away the support of villages, adding that farmers' voices had been “completely ignored” while taking decisions “regarding their future.” He questioned whether PM Modi would “listen now”. “Will Modi ji listen now? Or is the “grip” on him too strong?,” Rahul asked.
Heated exchange in Lok Sabha after Rahul's speech
• Rahul Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha on Wednesday accused the Centre of compromising national interests for the US trade deal, while triggered protests.
• “You have sold India,” Rahul said, while framing India's negotiating strength around its people and data. “If the Americans want to remain a superpower and protect their dollar, the key to that is Indian data,” he said.
• In his speech, Rahul also referred to US President Donald Trump, asking him to speak to Indians “as an equal.” “You are not going to talk to us as if we are your servants,” he said.
• Gandhi criticised tariff changes and alleged unequal commitments in trade, claiming that India had conceded too much while gaining little in return. He further said the Prime Minister would not have agreed to this deal “under normal circumstanced”, alleging that there is a “chokehold.”
• The LoP's remarks led to a heated exchange between him and union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju. “First of all, no man has been born in this universe who can touch or sell India. Secondly, the country has never seen a Prime Minister better than Modi,” the union minister said.
• Rijiju said that Rahul's remarks, as the Lok Sabha LoP, have “serious repercussions, and asked the Congress MP to authenticate his statements. Rahul agreed to do it “right now”, but was interrupted by Jagdambika Pal, who said the Chair had not sought it.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 09:17:22 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12: Key developments today
• BJP's Nishikant Dubey accused Lok Sabha LoP Rahul of misleading the nation and moved a substantive motion against him in Parliament, seeking termination of his membership and a lifetime ban from contesting elections.
• Congress downplayed the move, saying it was prepared to face the motion. “.. The last time they tried to cancel his membership, the people gave him more votes than PM Modi got. We will continue to tell the truth in the Parliament,” Congress leader KC Venugopal said.
• BJP leaders, including union minister Piyush Goyal and MP Anurag Thakur, targeted Rahul. Thakur questioned the “values of Congress leaders”, while Goyal said Rahul was attempting to “mislead the nation.”
• Meanwhile, the Congress raised concerns regarding India-US trade deal, alleging that it could affect the farmers. “The kind of conditions imposed in the US trade deal will break the back of Indian farmers," MP Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha said there was no inflation crisis in India today, saying it had been tackled by strategy.
- 12 Feb 2026, 08:57:27 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Cong MP Manish Tiwari demands restoration of income tax exemption on disability pension to soldiers
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress MP Manish Tiwari on Thursday demanded for the Centre to restore income tax exemption on disability pension to soldiers.
“Chandigarh is home to a large number of ex-servicemen who served this country with great honour and valour, safeguarding our frontiers at the peril of their lives,” Tiwari said during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha.
He said it was unfortunate that in the Finance Bill 2026, Para 108, the income tax exemption on service element plus disability has been restricted to only those servicemen who have been invalidated out of service. “This is a clear breach of Article 14 of the Constitution,” he said.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 08:23:27 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: ‘Refuse to squander public money to meet deadline…we go by transparent process,’ says FM
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha said the Centre's funds are not a “free pool of cash.”
In response to opposition members questioning the release of funds to various states, Sitharaman said, “Centre's funds are not a free pool of cash. It's hard earned contribution of every Indian citizen. We refuse to squander the money simply to meet a deadline. There is a very transparent process, and we go by that.”
- 12 Feb 2026, 07:55:45 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Rajya Sabha adjourned
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day. The session will resume at 11 am on Friday.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 07:48:46 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Evidence of middle-class expansion, not suppression, says FM Sitharaman
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday said there was no evidence of middle-class suppression, but of expansion.
“There is no evidence of middle-class suppression. Actually, there is enough and more evidence of historic middle-class expansion and formalisation driven by the economic reforms that have been undertaken in the last ten years,” the Finance Minister said.
Sitharaman added that high personal income tax collection did not necessarily mean the middle class is being crushed.
- 12 Feb 2026, 07:25:29 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Lok Sabha passes Industrial Relations Code Bill
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Industrial Relations Code (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Bill will help avoid “future unwarranted complication” over continuity of certain laws replaced by the Industrial Relations Code of 2020.
According to statement of objects and reasons of the proposed law, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 replaces the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, relating to trade unions, industrial employment and industrial disputes, PTI reported.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 06:39:55 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: More people today with taxable income, economy no longer narrow, says FM Sitharaman
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Finance Minister Sitharaman on Thursday questioned how the taxpayer was being suppressed if income up to ₹12 lakh had been exempted from tax.
The Finance Minister further said that there were more people today with taxable income. “More income is visible and in the formal sector and it is being reported. The economy is no longer narrow or belongs to the elite. The middle class is growing,” Sitharaman said in the Rajya Sabha.
She added that the number of people filing returns or with TDS had increased from 5.26 crore to 12.13 crores.
- 12 Feb 2026, 06:15:40 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Inflation has never been lower than today, says FM Sitharaman
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said inflation had never been lower in the country than what it is today. Sitharaman said there was no inflation crisis in India currently, saying it had been tamed.
She said the low inflation was not by chance, but the Centre had tackled it by strategy.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 05:52:34 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Urge all parties to encourage state govts for active participating in schemes, says Finance Minister
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday urged all parties and Parliament members to encourage the active participation of state governments in the announced schemes.
“This is a council of states. I urge all parties and members to encourage their respective state governments to participate actively in the schemes which are announced, many of which, will operate in a challenge mode...” Sitharaman said, adding that if any state chooses to participate in the “mega-schemes”, they can “stand to benefit.”
- 12 Feb 2026, 05:47:18 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Bird-hit incidents at reported airports rose to 1,782 in 2025
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: The number of bird-hit incidents reported at airports across the country rose to 1,782 in 2025, from 1,278 recorded in 2024, the government told Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said as many as 6,337 bird-hit incidents were reported at the airports in the country in the last five years, PTI reported. Bird-hit incidents can cause significant damage to aircraft.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has regulations and guidelines in place for management of potential wildlife hazard at licensed airports.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 05:29:17 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: FM Sitharaman says ‘macro-economic balance’ achieved by tremendous effort
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there was a “macro-economic balance” in the country, saying it is “unique to achieve.”
“t is an achievement to have a wonderful balance, indicating that there is high GDP growth and low inflation which is being held at that level for some time continuously...” Sitharaman said.
The Finance Minister said this was not by “fluke” but was the result of “tremendous effort, granular details and planning, and timely action.”
- 12 Feb 2026, 05:26:30 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid Opposition uproar over remarks targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had earlier accused Rahul of misleading the nation and moved a substantive motion against him in the Parliament, seeking termination of his membership.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 05:24:03 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: FM Sitharaman compares 10 yrs of UPA with NDA; gives unspent amount estimates
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday compared the unspent money for the UPA government from 2004-2014, and the NDA government from 2014-2024.
Sitharaman said that she had taken 14 major social and rural sectors for the estimates. She said that between 2004-2014, the unspent money stood at ₹94,060 crore, while between 2014 and 2024, it was at 3,064 crore.
She said the former amount was 6.4 per cent of the cumulative Budget estimates, while the latter is just 1 per cent.
- 12 Feb 2026, 05:09:33 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: ‘He doesn’t want to answer the media,' says union minister Kiren Rijiju on Rahul Gandhi
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Union minister Kiren Rijiju responded to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's remarks to the media after being asked on the motion against him.
“He must have said all this because he doesn't want to answer to the media. I have asked many Congress MPs to make Rahul Gandhi understand that if notices can be moved against him if he speaks in contravention of the rules…” Rijiju told ANI.
Rahul had, earlier, hit out at the media, saying, “You are not totally employed by the BJP. At least try and do little bit of objective stuff.” “You can't just take a word they give you... everyday and run your whole show on that. You are doing disservice to this country,” the LoP told media persons outside the Parliament, PTI reported.
Rijiju termed the incident as “wrong”, saying, “If he interrupts and scolds the media, then who will ask the questions? Have we ever stopped the media from asking questions? While we were in the Opposition, we never said anything to the media naming Congress.”
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- 12 Feb 2026, 04:29:25 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Conditions imposed in US trade deal will break the back of farmers, says Priyanka Gandhi
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the Centre had “first attacked workers' rights by bringing in the Labor Code, and then, under pressure from America, compromised on farmers' interests.”
In a post on X, Priyanka said “the kind of conditions imposed in the US trade deal will break the back of Indian farmers.” The Wayanad MP alleged that the Centre was “not working for the people, but against them”, while saying that the Congress was against “anti-people policies.”
- 12 Feb 2026, 04:15:47 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Oppn not allowing House to function smoothly, says Anurag Thakur
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday said the Opposition was not allowing “the House proceedings to function smoothly”. “When the House does run, they make absurd and baseless allegations.
When asked to substantiate those claims, they have nothing to present,” Thakur told PTI. He further targeted Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour and conduct are proving costly for the entire Congress party,” he said.
“The Congress party has become hollow, and it seems they want the House to become hollow as well, with no discussions on issues concerning the public,” Thakur said, according to PTI.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 04:07:38 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: India will also get zero duty access on textiles, like Bangladesh, says Piyush Goyal
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal addressed concerns on Indian textiles industry being affected by duty differentials vis-a-vis Bangladesh after the neighbouring country signed a deal with US.
“India also has the same facility and India will also get it. Right now, our framework agreement is being made. When the interim agreement is finalised, then you will get to see this in the fine print,” ANI cited Goyal as saying.
- 12 Feb 2026, 04:03:24 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: BJP should adopt slogan of ‘dependent-on-others-reliance’, says Akhilesh Yadav
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Samajwadi Party chief and Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said instead of self-reliance, BJP should adopt the slogan of “dependent-on-others-reliance.”
Samajwadi Party leaders held banners in protest outside the Parliament against the India-US trade deal. Sharing a video of this on X, Yadav said, “This deal is not just against the farming and labor of our country, but against every kind of produce and production, work and business, and employment,” Yadav alleged.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 03:55:01 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: BJP's Nishikant Dubey writes to LS Speaker Birla, urges inquiry into Rahul's ‘unethical conduct’
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging an inquiry into what he termed as “unethical conduct” of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Dubey referred to “four serious misdemeanours” allegedly conducted by the Congress leader. “He (Rahul) has cunningly dragged the name of former Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, by quoting his unpublished book with the ulterior motive of defaming the Indian Army vis-a-vis the Ministry of Defence, along with shamefully involving our Prime Minister..” Dubey wrote in the letter, according to ANI news agency.
- 12 Feb 2026, 03:47:11 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: ‘Entire country witnessed conduct of LoP,' says Anurag Thakur
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday responded to the remarks of Lok Sabha Leader of Oppodition Rahul Gandhi.
“The entire country has witnessed the conduct and uncivil behaviour of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Not following the rules of the House inside the House... If a Union Minister is giving a statement outside the House, then interrupting that statement,” Thakur told ANI news agency.
He further questioned whether these are “the values of Congress leaders.” “... Is Rahul Gandhi above all the rules of the country?... There is a deficiency in his values and thinking…”he added.
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- 12 Feb 2026, 03:36:36 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Cong's Venugopal accuses govt of ‘double standards’
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress general secretary K C Venugopal accused the government of double standards after Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's remarks were expunged from records.
“Whatever Rahul ji said is completely expunged from the records. Whatever Nirmala Sitharaman said, the same remarks were included in the records. The government has double standards...” PTI quoted Venugopal as saying. The Congress general secretary further alleged that the Parliament is “running for the government, not for the opposition.”
- 12 Feb 2026, 03:33:05 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: ‘Not bothered about any motions,’ says Cong MP Venugopal
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress MP K C Venugopal on Thursday asserted that the party was “not bothered” by any motions.
This came after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey moved a substantive motion against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament, seeking termination of his Parliamentary membership and a lifetime ban on the Congress leader from contesting elections.
“We are not bothered about any motions and if you want to hang us, we are ready for that also,” Venugopal said, according to PTI. He alleged that Opposition had “not been getting justice from the chair.”
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- 12 Feb 2026, 02:57:25 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Piyush Goyal says Rahul Gandhi ‘misleading nation with baseless allegations’
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: When asked about LoP Rahul Gandhi's statement in Parliament, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “It is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi attempts to mislead the nation with baseless and false allegations, making careless and unfounded remarks about people.”
Goyal further slammed Gandhi saying, “He displays a childish behaviour in Parliament, ignoring the established rules, regulations, and traditions of the House.”
"Instead of engaging in serious debates, he resorts to vulgar remarks and unauthorised issues, undermining the dignity of the Parliament...It is beyond imagination that anyone would try to tarnish India’s image on false grounds...India will not forgive such attempts, and the people will give a fitting response to Rahul Gandhi," PTI news agency reported.
- 12 Feb 2026, 02:52:18 PM IST
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress leader downplays BJP's motion against Rahul Gandhi
Parliament Budget Session Day 12 LIVE: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Thursday said the party is prepared to face the BJP’s privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi.
"We are ready to face privilege motion... The last time they tried to cancel his membership, the people gave him more votes than PM Modi got. We will continue to tell the truth in the Parliament," he said.
Venugopal also accused the government of pressuring the Chair to limit Opposition voices.
"Continuously, we have been complaining that we are not getting justice from the Chair. The government is pressuring the Chair not to give the Opposition a chance to speak. I got to know what Rahul Gandhi said was expunged".
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