'Is Sitharaman doing an Elon Musk': P Chidambaram on reduced budget of External Affairs Ministry

Former FM and Congress leader P Chidambaram

While addressing the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Congress leader P Chidambaram took shots at Finance Ministry Nirmala Sitharaman by asking if she was doing an Elon Musk on the External Affairs Ministry by reducing its budget.

"The finance minister asked this House to appropriate Rs 20,517 crore for the ministry of external affairs. In FY 2023-24, we allocated Rs 28,915 crore, in the current year (FY 2024-25) the revised estimate is 25,277 crore, almost 3,600 crore less. And for next year, the finance minister is asking for Rs 20,517 crore, another 5,300 crore less. I suspect that the finance minister is doing an Elon Musk on the external affairs ministry. Somebody must explain, are we shrinking our world presence? Are we closing down our embassies,” he said.

The Congress leader also said that the  Union Budget was "politically driven". "It is obvious that the Budget was politically driven, I shall not elaborate on that. There was no philosophy behind the Budget," said Chidambaram.