Rajnath Singh lauds FM Sitharaman for 'decimating misinformation campaign' over farm laws

Congratulating Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her reply to the discussion on Union Budget 2021-2022 in the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that she "decimated the misinformation campaign unleashed by vested interests against the Agriculture reforms."

'I congratulate Nirmala Ji'

Taking to Twitter, Rajnath Singh wrote, "Excellent reply to the discussion on Union Budget 2021-22 by the Finance Minister, Smt. @nsitharaman in Lok Sabha today. She decimated the misinformation campaign unleashed by vested interests against the Agri reforms. I congratulate Nirmalaji for outstanding performance."

'Rahul Gandhi becoming doomsday man for India' 

FM Sitharaman launched a blistering attack on critics, especially former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, whom she said was becoming a "doomsday man for India". Rahul Gandhi has been critical of the Narendra Modi government and has accused it of favouring crony capitalists, ignoring the poor and mishandling of the farmers' protest and the border dispute with China. 

She said the former Congress chief was creating fake narratives but does not have the patience to listen to replies to allegations levelled against the government. "We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party... this makes it clear that their belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system is completely finished," Sitharaman said.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi's speech on Thursday, during which he talked about farm laws but declined to speak on the Budget, she said, "he is probably becoming a doomsday man for India." The Minister further said that the Wayanad MP laid the "foundation" but did not speak about the Budget during the discussion on it. Sitharaman said she wanted Rahul Gandhi to speak on 10 issues but was disappointed as the Congress leader made no mention of them.

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"I wanted to know from the Congress why it took a U-turn on the farm laws but no reply came," she said, adding that Rahul did not tell the House why Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not waive farm loans promised in their manifesto.

Sitharaman further said Rahul Gandhi did not talk about the farmers' issue in Punjab where Congress is in power and the steps being taken by the government with regard to stubble burning. He also did not refer to any clause in three agri bills which was against the farmers, she said.

Congress party is only concerned about "Hum Do and Hamare Do," Sitharaman said adding that she expected Rahul Gandhi to return the land which "Damadji" had taken from farmers at a pittance. Also, she added, Rahul Gandhi did not say anything about the statement of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had advocated reform of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).

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(With PTI inputs)