Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman fired a fresh salvo at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Bengaluru and said Rahul Gandhi is a repeat offender in terms of making baseless allegations against the prime minister. "He did it prior to 2019 elections. He is doing it again. He doesn't seem to learn any lesson from all these false allegations that he wants to level against the prime minister," Nirmala Sitharaman said. Addressing the Adani issue which stormed the Budget Session of Parliament, Nirmala Sitharaman said if Rahul Gandhi thinks Adani has been given "all these things", it is not true. "It was the Congress government in Kerala which gave Vizhinjam port to Adani on a platter. It was not given on basis of any tender," Sitharaman said.
The finance minister spoke about the development projects the BJP ensured for Karnataka and the money that has been allotted to the state. On RBI keeping the policy rates unchanged, Nirmala Sitharaman said RBI has taken a good call. On the price rise, Sitharaman said inflation has been kept at 6% or below.
On a question on Adani, Sitharaman said, "So Shri Rahul Gandhi believes. I am asking you if he really thinks that Adani has been given all these things which is not true...let me also say he is now becoming a repeat offender..."
“In Rajasthan, the entire solar project has been given to Adani. What stops Rahul Gandhi to cancel that? Like in 2013 when prime minister Manmohan Singh was abroad, Rahul Gandhi called one ordinance nonsense and threw it in the dustbin. Like that, what stops Rahul Gandhi from cancelling that order in Rajasthan?” Sitharaman said.
"What is he not saying this in Chhattisgarh? If any crony capitalism is happening, it is happening in Congress-led states and Rahul Gandhi will not speak a word against that. And if he is throwing allegations against the PM., I challenge him to go and cancel the orders given by his own governments," Sitharaman said.
{{/usCountry}}"What is he not saying this in Chhattisgarh? If any crony capitalism is happening, it is happening in Congress-led states and Rahul Gandhi will not speak a word against that. And if he is throwing allegations against the PM., I challenge him to go and cancel the orders given by his own governments," Sitharaman said.
{{/usCountry}}"You are repeating baseless allegations 100 times and expecting to reap benefit of that. Bhaiya sorry, you had to apologise in the Supreme Court for your statements on Rafale. And then you had to say sorry for your RSS statement. Today you say you are a Gandhi and not a Savarkar. Does Rahul Gandhi even remember the two apologies that he tendered?" the finance minister said.
'Mamata Banerjee welcomed Adani'
On opposition unity over the Adani issue, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "The opposition has no issue against PM Modi and his governance. In opposition, every party wants to be the dominant party. So they pick up on issues and think it will bring them together. Have we not seen cosying up with Adani photos..shall I take the name? I don't intend to but honourable chief minister Mamata Banerjee welcomed Adani."