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Congress leader P Chidambaram has pointed out the reduced allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Union Budget and wondered if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was doing an "Elon Musk" on the foreign ministry.
In a budget presented by Ms Sitharaman on February 1, the MEA was allocated a total of Rs 20,516 crore as against the current fiscal's budget estimate of Rs 22,154 crore and revised estimate of Rs 25,277 crore.
Mr Chidambaram's 'Elon Musk' mention was about the tech billionaire being in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked by President Donald Trump to carry out cuts to the US government.
Initiating a discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26 in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mr Chidambaram sought to know the reasons for the reduction in allocations for the MEA and if the government is closing down embassies and consulates and shrinking India's presence across the world.
"The finance minister has asked this house to appropriate Rs 20,517 crore for the Ministry of External Affairs. Usually, the MEA doesn't figure in her Budget speech... In 2023-24, the past year we allocated Rs 28,915 crore. In the current year, the revised estimate is Rs 25,277 crore, almost Rs 3,600 crore less in the current year," the former Union finance minister pointed out.
An absolutely brilliant intervention on the budget by Shri @PChidambaram_IN
Pointed, piercing, tears apart cheerleaders and the propagandists with numbers and data
On another note - why doesn't the FM ever smile? मुस्कुराने पर भी टैक्स आने वाला है क्या? 😊 pic.twitter.com/sSBARGmm53
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) February 10, 2025
"For the next year, the finance minister is asking for only Rs 20,517 crore, another Rs 5,300 crore less," he added.
"I wish the external affairs minister (S Jaishankar) is here. I suspect that, and I hope not, I suspect that the finance minister is doing an 'Elon Musk' on the external affairs minister", Mr Chidambaram said.
"Somebody must explain, are we shrinking our world presence? Are we closing down embassies? Are we closing down consulates? Be that as it may," Mr Chidambaram said further.
Ministry of External Affairs's Budget Share
The MEA has been allocated Rs 5,483 crore for aid to foreign nations, slightly higher than last fiscal year's Rs 4,883 crore.
The budget has placed a key emphasis on India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy with Rs 4,320 crore - 64 per cent of the total scheme portfolio - being earmarked for the country's immediate neighbours for several initiatives like large infrastructure projects such as hydroelectric plants, power transmission lines, housing, roads, bridges and integrated check-posts.
Bhutan has been allocated the largest share of Rs 2,150 crore as development aid, followed by Rs 700 crore to Nepal and Rs 600 crore to the Maldives.
The total assistance for Latin America and Eurasia has been pegged at Rs 100 crore.