Budget Session: It was 'andha kaal' during Congress rule, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, February 10

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the fact that 44 unicorns have been made in India was a sign of “Amrit Kaal” which she had prominently mentioned in this year’s Union Budget.

“These unicorns have created wealth and tell about India’s talent and innovation,” she said while replying to the debate on the Budget in the Lok Sabha.

Sitharaman said the Congress carried out reforms under compulsion while inflation was in double digits during the UPA regime. “There was indeed ‘andha kaal’ (dark age) in the country, but it was during the Congress rule,” she said while pointing out that corruption, double-digit inflation and policy paralysis were a trend during the Congress rule.

Replying to attacks by the Opposition over unemployment and privatisation, she said that 44.58 crore accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana with Rs 1.57 lakh crore worth of deposits were opened in the 2021-22 fiscal. —