Photo Source: ANI
Breaking: Nirmala Sitharaman rejects AAP’s Centre discrimination charge against Punjab, blames poll-year politics
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 22, 2026: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has rejected allegations by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab that the Centre is discriminating against the state in the release of funds, asserting that states receive funds according to their entitlements and that payments are made on time.
Responding to the allegations on September 21, Sitharaman said no state is treated in a manner that causes it financial loss or forces it to face undue hardship.
“No state is treated in a manner that causes it loss or forces it to suffer undue hardship,” she said, adding that there are no cuts or reductions in funds due to a state based on its entitlements.
The Finance Minister said the Centre releases payments to states on time and termed allegations of discrimination “baseless”. She also linked the Punjab government’s allegations to the upcoming elections in the state, alleging that such statements were being made to divert attention from its own performance.
“Perhaps because elections are approaching in Punjab, they are making such statements to gloss over their own non-performance,” Sitharaman said.
Her remarks come amid an ongoing political dispute between the Punjab government and the Centre over the release and allocation of central funds to the state.