Rahul Gandhi becoming ‘doomsday man’ for India: Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, February 13

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he is becoming a “doomsday man” for India by constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues.

Replying to the general discussion on Budget in Lok Sabha, she said the former Congress chief was creating fake narratives but did 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 Rahul Gandhi’s speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws but declined to speak on the Budget, she said: “He is probably becoming a doomsday man for India.”

The Minister further said Gandhi laid the “foundation” but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it.

Sitharaman said she wanted Gandhi to speak on 10 issues but was disappointed as the Congress leader made no mention of them.

“I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came,” she said, adding that Gandhi 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 Gandhi did not talk about the farmers issue in Punjab where Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the government with regard to stubble burning.

Gandhi also did not refer to any clause in three agri bills which was against the farmers, she said.

Congress party was only concerned about “hum do and hamare do”, Sitharaman said adding that she expected Gandhi to return the land which “Damadji” had taken from farmers at pittance.

“Also,” she added, “Gandhi did not say anything about the statement of former prime minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).”

She also accused Gandhi of insulting constitutional authorities recalling the incidence when the Congress leader tore an ordinance promulgated by its own government led by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Regretting that the Congress had joined the break India fringe group and continuously creating false narrative to demean India, she said. PTI

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