'Abodh Balak': Giriraj Singh Roasts Rahul As Nirmala Sitharaman Tears Into Congress For 'Selling Bharat'

New Delhi:  The Lok Sabha erupted into slogans of ‘Abodh Balak’ (immature boy) directed at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, sparking off from Union Minister Giriraj Singh seated just behind the Finance Minister, when Nirmala Sitharaman launched a sharp rebuttal at the Congress MP, saying that these are the people who had actually “sold the country” in 2017. 

On the day when Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack at the Union government for signing the trade deal with the US allegedly at the cost of farmers, Sitharaman said that Rahul Gandhi did not even bother to Budget document. 

“The Leader of Opposition has not even read that for energy security, to insure India from weaponization of energy matters, the Budget pushes for autonomy of critical minerals...He has not read any of this. He has come to lecture us. All these are in the Budget. They (Congress) should have the strength to listen to this,” Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Coming down heavily on the Congress for levelling allegations like “selling Bharat” and “Modiji has surrendered,” the Finance Minister made it clear that, “Modi will not bend down to any nation. He will stand tall and talk to them and work for the country.”

Showing the mirror to the Congress, Sitharaman said that when the Congress was in power in the Centre it had reached a deal with the World Trade Organisation under which grain procurement and the publ;ic procurement system could have stopped in 2017, had the Narendra Modi government intervened and reached a ‘peace clause’ with the WTO.

“Who are the ones who have sold the nation? In 2013, they (Congress) went to the World Trade Organisation, in Bali, and reached a deal on trade facilitation and public stockholding of grains. Not doing anything for Bharat's advantage on public stockholding of grains, they signed on trade facilitation and came back. Under this from January 2017, nothing will be procured from farmers. This also means we cannot give anything to the poor from our ration shops. These are the ones who reached such an agreement with WTO at Bali...,” Sitharaman said.

Lambasting the LoP, the Finance Minister said, “They (Congress) are the ones who sold the nation, the farmers, the poor. These are the ones who surrendered. And the LoP is blaming our Prime Minister? He has no moral compass.”

At this point, the House erupted into sharp slogans from the treasury benches, calling Rahul Gandhi an “abodh balok” (immature boy). This may be seen as an attempt by the BJP to humiliate Rahul Gandhi, in a way to rubbish his claims.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) is an Abodh Balak. He only speaks lies. All he said in the House today are all lies. The Congress party has sold the nation. Nirmala Sitharaman has spoke the truth,” Giriraj Singh said while speaking to reporters after coming out of the Lower House following the conclusion of Sitharaman's speech.

What Rahul Gandhi Said Today

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre over the India-US Interim Trade Agreement and accused it of compromising national interests.

He said the government itself has acknowledged that the world is facing a global storm, with the era of a single superpower coming to an end, intensifying geopolitical conflicts, and the weaponisation of energy and finance. Despite recognising this reality, he alleged, the government has allowed the United States to weaponise energy and financial systems in ways that affect India.

"You yourself admit that we are facing a global storm -- that the era of one superpower is over, that geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, and that energy and finance are being weaponised. Yet, despite acknowledging this reality, you have allowed the United States to weaponise energy and financial systems in ways that impact us. When America says we cannot buy oil from a particular country, it effectively means our energy security is being dictated externally -- that energy itself is being weaponised against us...I am saying you have compromised India's interests," he said.

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