Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of economic mismanagement during the 2008 global financial crisis. She further alleged that Congress put the “family first” and brought the economy down to “fragile five”.
Initiating the debate on the ‘White Paper on Indian Economy and its impact on the lives of people of India,’ Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha, it is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the world is looking towards India.
“When you don’t put the nation first, when you put your first family first, and when you have other consideration than transparency, the results are out there for you to see. So what happened after 2008 when there was a global financial crisis and what happened post-COVID shows clearly that if the intent of the government is sincere results will be good,” she said in the new Parliament.
The Union Finance Minister said that the Common Wealth Games (CWG), which was held during the UPA’s tenure, brought “bad name” to the country, but India’s G20 presidency, which was held in New Delhi last year, under the leadership of Prime Minster Narendra Modi earned India “global respect”.
The nearly 60-page White Paper was tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by Sitharaman on Thursday.
She also alleged that the UPA government turned “coal into ashes” but through the policies of the NDA government, it turned “coal into diamond”.
Sitharaman also said the Modi-led NDA government handled the much more “deadly” COVID-19 crisis with sincerity and dedication, unlike UPA in 2008, which did not have “clean” intention.
Amid protest by Opposition leaders, she said, “If they have courage, they should listen and reply…They don’t have the courtesy to reply. Either they walk out or don’t listen.”