Finance Minister Criticizes Congress Leader for Remarks Abroad

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his controversial remarks made abroad. She questioned if the Congress party endorsed his views, especially his comments on Sikhs. Sitharaman also accused the DMK of undermining Central initiatives and discussed funding issues related to the Chennai Metro rail project.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his controversial remarks abroad, questioning whether the Congress party endorsed his statements, particularly those concerning Sikhs.

Expressing her concerns, Sitharaman emphasized that as the Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi should not have misused his freedom of expression to engage with individuals working against India's interests and speaking against the nation. She demanded that the Congress party clarify its stance on Gandhi's views.

Addressing a gathering of Indian Americans in Washington DC, Gandhi criticized the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for allegedly considering certain religions, languages, and communities inferior. Gandhi's remarks touched upon issues of religious freedom and minority rights in India, prompting Sitharaman to call for an explanation from Gandhi on who made former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologize to the Sikhs.

Sitharaman also accused the ruling DMK of creating obstacles to the Centre's initiatives, suggesting that the party's opposition to the Vishwakarma Yojana and Hindi demonstrated their effort to malign the Central government. She highlighted instances where the DMK had put barriers in place that hindered Central schemes, alleging hypocrisy regarding their stance on Hindi while seeking benefits from Hindi-using institutions.

Furthermore, Sitharaman addressed the accusation by the DMK that the Centre had not provided sufficient funds for the Chennai Metro rail phase II project. She stated that the state government had only utilized a fraction of the funds provided, and emphasized ongoing support from the Central government whenever deemed necessary.

(With inputs from agencies.)