Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday took a jibe at Congress, saying “our Amrit Kaal is your Rahu Kaal”. Her comment came during her concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha on the discussion of Union Budget 2022-2023 in response to a taunt by an MP on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government that “it is not Amrit Kaal, it is Rahu Kaal”. Referring to the big scams during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, FM Sitharaman termed it as “Rahu Kaal for the country”. Speaking on the Budget, Sitharaman mentioned how an MP targeted the government and said “it is Rahu Kaal for the country since 2014”.
In an obvious reference to Rahul Gandhi, the FM said, “Rahu Kaal is when a sitting PM was about to meet the US President and a bill he cleared was torn up… But I want to tell you that Rahu Kaal is that which is called G-23. Our Amrit Kaal is his Rahu Kaal. Senior party leaders are leaving the party and exiting, this is Rahu Kaal. No wonder the Congress party, which is facing Rahu Kaal is getting 44 seats and is not able to come out of it.”
“In states where the Congress is ruling, Rahu kaal is there, where they say, ‘I am a girl, can fight’… but in Rajasthan girls are not able to fight. Every day some scandal is happening there,” Sitharaman said while attacking the Congress.
On employment, the Minister said over Rs 7 lakh crores are being spent on infrastructure to create jobs. For 2022-23, Sitharaman said the allocation is Rs 1 lakh crore to assist the states in capitalizing overall investments in the economy for 50 years without any interest burden. “Keeping in mind states and their difficulties, in November 2021, we ensured an advance installment of devolution is given to them to double their cash in hand,” said the Minister.
On cryptocurrency, FM Sitharaman said: “I just want to say the act of taxing the cryptocurrencies…We have taxed the profit emanating from the transactions. I am not doing anything to legalize it or ban it or regulate it. But then would you rather have me not tax them and then tell me that I didn’t take corrective action. Legitimate or illegitimate is a different question, but I will tax as that is our sovereign right.”
Replying to the general discussion on Union Budget 2022-23 in Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister noted that the Indian economy suffered a loss of Rs 9.57 lakh crore during the coronavirus pandemic while the loss to the economy during the 2008-09 global financial crisis was Rs 2.12 lakh crore. Sitharaman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has handled the much bigger crisis in a more efficient manner.
Sitharaman added, “We went in for a Budget which would stand for continuity, which will bring stability to the economy and predictability in taxation and also a vision for India at 100.”
The Finance Minister further said, “The coming 25 years are going to be important for India. No wonder we’re calling it Amrit Kaal. If we don’t have a vision for India at 100, we will suffer similarly as the first 70 years, when 65 years were with Congress that had no vision except supporting, building and benefitting one family,” she added.