A video from February 2023 depicting Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's response to criticism of the budget is being circulated online, with misleading claims suggesting it is a recent incident. The India TV Fact Check team has clarified that the video is outdated and unrelated to Sitharaman's recent presentation of the interim budget on February 1, 2024.
Sitharaman's sixth consecutive budget
On February 1, 2024, Nirmala Sitharaman presented her sixth consecutive budget in Parliament. The interim budget emphasised continuity in tax rates with a strong focus on youth and women's empowerment, as well as broader social justice objectives.
Misleading claims debunked
The misleading video in circulation features a journalist questioning Sitharaman's budget, claiming it is "not good enough" for the middle class. Sitharaman's response, expressing shock and saying "next question, please," has been taken out of context.
Origins of the video
To debunk the misleading claims, the India TV Fact Check team conducted a keyword search and found a report by The Economic Times from February 1, 2023. The report, titled 'Watch: FM Sitharaman left speechless over Opposition's response on Budget 2023,' aligned with visuals from the viral video. Similar reports were published by Brut India and Hindustan Times on the same date.
Comparison and verification
To further validate the findings, a full version of the 2023 press conference was sought. A YouTube livestream by PIB India from February 1, 2023, titled 'Union Budget 2023–24: Post-Budget Conference by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,' revealed that the portion from 42:52 onwards exactly matched the viral video.
The India TV Fact Check team concluded that the claims surrounding the video's recent nature are misleading, emphasising the importance of accurate information dissemination in the digital realm.
