In Parliament, Sitharaman attacks Cong for undermining achievements of other govts: ‘Country needs clean governance’

Sitharaman asserted that there was mismanagement of the economy from 2004 to 2014 under the Congress-led UPA government.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman made sharp remarks against the Congress party on Saturday, saying the country needed clean governance and not governance through “extra-constitutional bodies”. She criticized the Congress for their alleged tendency to undermine the achievements of past administrations, particularly citing their handling of inflation during the UPA's tenure.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (PTI)

During a discussion on the 'White Paper on Indian Economy' in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman asserted that there was mismanagement of the economy from 2004 to 2014 under the Congress-led UPA government. She highlighted the efforts of the Modi-led government in steering the economy from a precarious state to becoming the world's fifth-largest, with aspirations to rise further.

Taking a swipe at the influence of extrajudicial bodies, likely referring to the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi, Sitharaman advocated for accountable governance, highlighting the contributions of leaders such as B R Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, and Karpoori Thakur.

Sitharaman also underscored the difference between the governance styles of Congress and NDA governments stating that the current NDA administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi actively oversees projects even at the district level.

Explaining the timing of the White Paper's release, Sitharaman mentioned concerns about its impact on institutional and investor confidence had it been released earlier. She also stressed the government's responsibility to provide accurate economic assessments to the public and Parliament.

In her response, Sitharaman also outlined various measures undertaken by the Modi government to revive the economy. She also noted a decline in unemployment rates for graduates from 17.3% in 2017 to 13.4% in 2023.

With PTI inputs