'Doomsday man of India,' FM Sitharaman tears into Rahul Gandhi over crony capital comment on budget

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched a scathing attack against Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party over farmers' protest and 'hum do humare do' remark in the ongoing Budget session at the parliament.

Talking about Rahul's recent 'hum do humare do' remark alleging PM Modi's bonhomie with "crony capitalists", FM Sitharaman responded,"Hum 2 hamare 2' is that - we're 2 people taking care of party & there are 2 other people who I've to take care, daughter & damad will take care of that. We don't do that."

The finance minister accused the Congress leader of creating fake narratives on various issues. She also called him 'Doomsday man of India'.

Amping up her attacker further, FM Sitharaman said, "Where are the cronies? They're hiding probably in the shadow of that party which has been rejected by the people. The shadows who were invited to even develop a port. They invited, no open tenders, no global tenders".

"Rs 10,000 is given to 50 lakh street traders as working capital for one year. They aren't anyone's cronies". Sitharaman said her party's cronies are the common 'janta' of India," she added.

"PM SVANidhi Yojana doesn't go to cronies. Damads get land in states which are governed by some parties - Rajasthan, Haryana once upon a time," FM Sitharaman stated.

With regards to increasing allocation for the rural job guarantee scheme, the finance minister said the government will allocate more funds for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme for 2021-22, if needed, as against a Budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore.

On no mention of defence in her budget speech on February 1, the FM clarified, "We allocated Rs 1,16,931 crore Defence expenditure in 2013-14, this being so huge, unless we pair it down into 3 compartments, you aren't going to get a true picture-Revenue, Capital, Pension."

She further informed that "Under revenue Rs 1,16,931 crore in 2013-14, Rs 86,741 crore capital in 2013-14, under pensions Rs 44,500 in 2013-14...What is it now? Rs 2,09,319 crore under revenue, Rs 1,13,734 crore under capital and Rs 1,33,825 crore under pension.".

With regard to Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana, FM Sitharaman said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consistently believed in India. "Respecting Indian entrepreneurial skills, Indian managerial skills, Indian trade skills, Indian business skills, Indian youth, Jana Sangh onwards, BJP has consistently believed in India. We didn't borrow something from somewhere and gave a hybrid," she said in Lok Sabha.

The union minister also said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic did not deter the government from undertaking reforms for maintaining the long-term goals of the country. The reforms undertaken will lay the path for India to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, FM Sitharaman noted.

On February 1, the finance minister presented a Rs 34.5 lakh crore Budget for 2021-22 in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.