Amidst the debate over the No Confidence Motion against the Narendra Modi government in the parliament, Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, August 10 said that the Modi government is clearing the mess created in the banking sector by the previous Congress-led governments. Sitharaman emphasized how the Modi government has taken significant measures to boost India’s banking sector.
“We realised that the banking sector needs to be healthy and therefore we took a lot of measures. Banks are able to work without political interference, they are working with professional integrity. ‘Banks mein failaya hua aapka raita hum saaf kar rahe hai’,” Minister Sitharaman said.
Furthermore, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized a substantial shift in India’s economic standing.
She cited Morgan Stanley’s classification of India as one of the world’s five most vulnerable economies in 2013. She did, however, underline that Morgan Stanley had just raised India’s rating and positioned it in an enhanced position. She added that, despite the COVID pandemic, the Indian economy has risen and enjoyed significant economic growth in just 9 years, which she credited primarily to government measures.
No Confidence Motion discussion | Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman says, "In 2013, Morgan Stanley had included India in the list of five fragile economies of the world. India was declared a fragile economy. Today, the same Morgan Stanley upgraded India and gave it a higher rating. In… pic.twitter.com/u2kzwG2LTY
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2023
According to Sitharaman, India now has the reputation of having the world’s fastest-growing economy. “So, India is in a rare position of being optimistic and positive about its future growth,” Sitharaman said.
"So, India is in a rare position of being optimistic and positive about its future growth," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says. #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/MK3EWl4cdR
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2023
The finance minister informed the Lok Sabha that the world economy grew by slightly more than 3% in 2022, but the World Bank now forecasts a 2.1 percent fall in 2023.
VIDEO | "Global economy grew just over 3 per cent in 2022 and the World Bank is now forecasting that it will decline to 2.1 per cent in 2023," says Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha. #NoConfidenceMotion
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 10, 2023
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/r71WV4i72v
She went on to say that real GDP growth had reached 7.2 percent in the fiscal year 2022-23 and was expected to rise to 6.5 percent in the fiscal year 2023-24. These estimates were said to be in line with expectations from many international bodies, as well as their own RBI projection.
VIDEO | "Our real GDP growth in 2022-23 stood at 7.2 per cent. It is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent in 2023-24. These projections are given by several global agencies, and our own RBI projection is also the same," says Union Finance minister @nsitharaman in Lok Sabha.… pic.twitter.com/sel5dwi2Mf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 10, 2023
During her speech to the Lok Sabha, she also outlined the government’s efforts to stem the rise in tomato prices.
VIDEO | Union Finance minister @nsitharaman lists out steps being taken by the government to contain #tomato price rise while speaking in Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/74JIk1b6f4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 10, 2023
Finance minister takes a dig at the I.N.D.I.A. alliance
The Union Finance Minister took a swipe at the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, asking if they were fighting among themselves rather than fighting for unity. She used the instance of Karnataka’s health minister, a Congress leader, who was ‘not impressed’ after visiting the AAP-led Delhi government’s mohalla clinics.
No Confidence Motion discussion | Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman takes on I.N.D.I.A. alliance; says, "Karnataka's Health Minister came to Delhi to see the mohalla clinics here. He came and said that there is nothing special in them and we are disappointed. This is one… pic.twitter.com/j3c18eAMqY
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2023
“The Health Minister of Karnataka visited Delhi to see the mohalla clinics.” He walked in and stated there was nothing special in them, and we were disappointed. This is one of the examples of their fight.”
Finance Minister highlights the shift from ‘Milega’ to ‘Mil Gaya’
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the previous UPA government, asserting that while they were simply launching initiatives, the NDA government ensured that such promises were fulfilled.
She said that promises on electricity, gas connections, toilets, and airports have been fulfilled in the nine years since the BJP came to power in center.
“Words like ‘banega, milega’ are not in use anymore. What is everyone using these days? ‘Ban gaye, mil gaye, aa gaye,’ they say. People used to say ‘Bijli aayegi’ during the UPA era; today they say ‘Bijli aa gayi’. They said ‘gas connection milega’, now they said ‘gas connection mil gaya’…They said airport ‘banega,’ now airport ‘ban gaya,’ she stated in Lok Sabha.
Words from the time of UPA – 'Banega', 'Milega', 'Aayega'.
— Team Sai (@TeamSai_in) August 10, 2023
Words of the day in Modi ji government – 'Ban Gaya', 'Mil Gaya', 'Aa Gaya'. pic.twitter.com/540i9j4bf4
Nirmala Sitharaman slams DMK over women’s safety issue, reminds of Jayalalitha’s saree
In response to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi’s Wednesday speech wherein she compared the women paraded naked and raped in Manipur with queen Draupadi of Mahabharat, minister Sitharaman reminded the DMK leader of March 1989 incident in the Tamil Nadu state assembly when Tamil Nadu’s former CM and AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha was disrespected and DMK MPs back then were laughing.
On Wednesday, Kanimozhi raised the issue of Manipur women equating them with Draupadi and said that like Draupadi those women must also have prayed to some god, however, neither god nor the government came to their rescue.
Responding to this, Minister Sitharaman today said that politics should not be done over the issue of women’s safety. She also recalled the 1989 incident wherein the AIADMK chief and the then Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayalalitha’s saree was pulled and she was humiliated. She further reminded the house of Jayalalitha’s vow never to return to the assembly unless she becomes the Chief Minister of the state.
#WATCH | FM says, "I agree that women suffering anywhere – Manipur, Delhi, Rajasthan – will have to be taken seriously. No politics played. But I want to remind this entire House of one incident which happened on 25th March 1989 in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Then she hadn't become CM… pic.twitter.com/DRUTV4qeIg
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2023
“I agree that women suffering anywhere – Manipur, Delhi, Rajasthan – will have to be taken seriously. No politics played. But I want to remind this entire House of one incident which happened on 25th March 1989 in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Then she hadn’t become CM Jayalalithaa’s saree was pulled in Tamil Nadu in the Assembly. She was the LoP. The DMK members who were seated there heckled her and laughed at her…Has DMK forgotten Jayalalithaa? You pulled her saree, you demeaned her. That day Jayalalithaa took an oath that she will never come to the House unless she becomes the CM. Two years later, she returned as the CM of Tamil Nadu,” Sitharaman said.
