Indian Express publishes FM Sitharaman’s comments on tax relief for middle class in old interview as recent, retracts story without apology: Here’s what happened

On the 31^st of December, The Indian Express published a story based on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s interview wherein she said that there are limitations in providing relief to the middle class through tax tweaks. It, however, turned out that Indian Express passed off Sitharaman’s old interview with Times Now as recent to spread propaganda against the Finance Minister ahead of the Union Budget 2025-26.

In the report headlined “FM cites limitations over expectations of tax break”, Indian Express reported that on “Monday” Finance Minister said that “she wishes to ‘do more’ for the middle class, but highlighted that there are ‘limitations’ in providing relief through tax tweaks.”

The report further reads, “The statement comes ahead of the Union Budget 2025-26, which, given the slow- down in consumption demand, has raised expectations of significant tax concessions for the middle class, and support for the low-income population.”

The Indian Express article also quoted a statement Sitharaman made during the said Times Now interview wherein she said, “I respect the issue of giving relief to the middle class. I wish to do more, but there are limitations in taxation. To make a difference for salaried people, the standard deduction was in CC. I respect the issue of giving relief to the middle class. I wish to do more, but there are limitations in taxation. To make a difference for salaried people, the standard deduction was increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 (in the last Budget).”

Watch how blatant propaganda works:

Pic 1: The Indian Express runs a fake story to build a narrative against the Finance Minister.

Pic 2: They issue a 'correction' the next day, buried in the smallest bottom-left corner, to evade accountability. pic.twitter.com/kb3GAJdN6p

— Cons of Media (@ConsOfMedia) January 1, 2025

While the FM Nirmala Sitharaman indeed made this statement, it was not during any recent interview but on a Times Now interview on July 2024.

The Indian Express report was published on the 13^th Page of its newspaper. On the 1^st of January, the news publication retracted its propaganda story and published a “correction” instead of apology. Even the ‘correction’ was buried in the smallest bottom-left corner the newspaper’s second page, evidently to escape accountability.

“The report FM cites limitations over expectations of tax break which appeared on December 31, 2004, was based on a TV interview of the Finance Minister conducted in July 2024. The error is regretted,” the Indian Express said.