Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's ‘zer0 sum Budget’ remark, saying that he should try to “understand” the Budget.
During her post-Budget press conference, Sitharaman said that she pity those making quick responses on Twitter. The finance minister added that she is ready to take on “criticism” but not statements that have only been made for the sake of posting on Twitter, especially by someone, who “hasn't done his homework right.”
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Sitharaman further urged the Congress leader to first find solutions to the problems of the states where his party rules, and implement the schemes that have been announced by the BJP-led Centre. “Is employment not a problem in Punjab? Even today suicides among cotton farmers are happening in Maharashtra. What has Rahul Gandhi done to stop these…Let him first take care of Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh, and then talk,” she added.
The finance minister further stated that she can only pity that the oldest political party of India has a leader like Gandhi, who doesn't think before making comments. She said that the BJP-led Centre has in five years improved the “fragile state” of the country's economy that the previous Congress regime left them with.
{{/usCountry}}The finance minister further stated that she can only pity that the oldest political party of India has a leader like Gandhi, who doesn't think before making comments. She said that the BJP-led Centre has in five years improved the “fragile state” of the country's economy that the previous Congress regime left them with.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, Gandhi took to Twitter to say that the Union Budget does not have anything for “salaried class, middle class, the poor and deprived, youth, farmers and MSMEs.”
While quashing Gandhi's remarks, Sitharaman said that she has clearly mentioned in her Budget speech all the benefits that the Centre has allocated to each of the sectors that the Congress leader mentioned.