He is becoming doomsday man for country, says Sitharaman in LS
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the Union Budget 2021-22 has set the pace for aatmanirbhar India and hit hard at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “hum do, humare do” barb saying he is becoming a “doomsday man” for the country by constantly insulting Constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives.
Replying to a debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, the Finance Minister said the challenges of the Covid pandemic did not deter the Government from undertaking reforms for maintaining long-term goals of the country.
“The reforms undertaken will lay the path for India to become one of those fastest-growing economies in the world, she said, adding the Budget has set the pace for India to become aatmanirbhar”, she said.
The Finance Minister said the Budget has laid emphasis on increasing capital expenditure, raising allocation for healthcare capacity building and development of agriculture infrastructure, among others, which are expected to have a multiplier effect on the economy.
With regards to increasing allocation for rural job guarantee scheme, Sitharaman said the Government will allocate more funds for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme for 2021-22, if needed, as against Budget estimate of `73,000 crore. Hitting out at the Opposition, she said the Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi “works for common people and not for crony capitalists.”
In her sharp riposte to Rahul, she said the former Congress chief was creating fake narratives but does not have patience to listen to replies on allegations levelled against the Government.
“We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party… this makes it clear that their belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system is completely finished,” Sitharaman said.
Responding to former Congress president’s speech on Thursday, during which he spoke about farm laws but not on the Budget, she said, “He is probably becoming a doomsday man for India.”
The Minister said that the Congress leader laid the “foundation” but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it.
“I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came,” she said.
The FM added that Rahul did not tell the House why Congress Governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans promised in their manifesto.
Sitharaman further said the Congress leader did not talk about the farmers issue in Punjab where the Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the Government with regard to stubble burning.
He also did not refer to any clause in three farm laws which was against the farmers, she said.
Congress party is only concerned about “hum do, humare do,” Sitharaman said adding that she expected Rahul to return the land which “Damadji” had taken from farmers at pittance.
“For those who are constantly accusing us of dealing with cronies PM SVANidhi doesn’t go to cronies. Damads get land in States which were governed by some parties in Rajasthan, Haryana once upon a time,” she said.
The Finance Minister said the Congress leader did not say anything about the statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees.
The Finance Minister also accused Rahul of insulting constitutional authorities recalling the incidence when the Congress leader tore an Ordinance promulgated by its own Government led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Regretting that the Congress has joined the break India fringe group and continuously creating false narrative to demean India, she said some members have questioned whether allocation for minority affairs, allocation for SC & ST has been reduced.
“No, they have not. Total allocation for minority affairs is Rs 4,811 crores in 2021-22 which is an 8.6% increase for the Ministry, higher than actual expenditure,” she asserted.
“This Budget draws from the experience of the PM when he was CM – on the ground in Gujarat, seen so many revivals happening at a time when the license quota raj was going away post-1991 and then based on that experience, commitment to reform was blended into this Budget,” said Sitharaman.
Sunday, 14 February 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
