'In Bengal, bombs prevail, women asked to stay indoors at night': Nirmala Sitharaman hits out at CM Mamata Banerjee in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday hit out at West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over the issue of law and order in the poll-bound state. Replying to a debate on the Union Budget 2026 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said that "bombs, and not law" prevail in under Mamata's rule."Bengal mein bomb chalta hai, kanun nahi chalta (in Bengal, it is bombs that prevail, not the law)", she said, leading to uproar by opposition leaders. She criticised the CM for advising women to remain indoors in the evenings instead of taking steps to improve the state’s law and order situation. She referred to a June 2025 bomb blast in Kaliganj that claimed a child’s life, noting that a TMC leader was arrested in connection with the incident. West Bengal is scheduled to head to the polls in the coming months.Responding to remarks by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Sitharaman accused him of misleading the House by claiming that GST is levied on milk, stationery and education.She also rejected his assertion that GST is imposed even in death, clarifying that funeral services have never been taxed under the GST regime.The minister added that the Budget contains several proposals in which the West Bengal government can participate to advance the state’s interests.