'Poverty does not mean scarcity of food, Nirmala Sitharaman

Faced with criticism for a budget that critics and opposition leaders believe ignores the poorer portions of the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman borrowed a page from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book and used her speech to the Rajya Sabha to criticize Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi.

Ms. Sitharaman used a 2013 remark by Mr. Gandhi, in which he described poverty as a "state of mind", saying "... does not mean the scarcity of food, money or material things" and "... if one possesses self-confidence, then one can overcome poverty to criticize the Congress leader.

"Your former president said, 'Poverty does not mean scarcity of food, money, or material things. If one possesses self-confidence one can overcome it'. He also said, 'It's a state of mind'. I am not naming the person but we know who it is," she said.

Despite opposition MPs' yelling their displeasure, the Finance Minister proceeded, "Please be clear... is this the 'poverty' you want me to address? The 'poverty of the mind'..."

"The opposition couldn't handle a lesser crisis," she said, citing pre-2014 consumer price index data of 9.1% during the global financial crisis to 6.2 percent presently amid Covid.

Ms. Sitharaman further slammed the Congress after Congressman Kapil Sibal said in 2014 that India has been under 'rahu kaal' - an unlucky time of day according to Hindu astrology - since 2014.

"No wonder we are calling it 'amrit kaal. If we don't have a vision at 100 (years of independence), we will suffer... when 65 years were with Congress that had no vision except benefitting one family."

Sitharaman slammed senior Congressman Kapil Sibal's remark that "India is not in Amrit Kaal, but in Rahu Kaal since 2014."

She referred to the 2013 episode of Rahul Gandhi as 'Rahu Kaal,' when an ordinance brought by the Prime Minister of their own party was torn in front of the media.

"'Rahu kal' is when the Congress says 'ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon' (a reference to the party's slogan for elections in UP and other states) but girls are not able to fight in Rajasthan," the Union Minister said.

'Rahu kaal' was then, when an ordinance brought by the Prime Minister of their own party was torn in front of the media."

She referred to the 2013 episode of Rahul Gandhi as 'Rahu Kaal,' when an ordinance brought by the Prime Minister of their own party was torn in front of the media.

Meanwhile, Congress claims the government is retaliating because it is "scared of Rahul Gandhi"; Mr. Gandhi warned this week that the Prime Minister is fearful of the party.

"The Finance Minister has given a statement on Rahul Gandhi in anger... We raised this question in the discussion on the budget that 27 crore people have gone below the poverty line because of this economic crisis..." MP Shaktisinh Gohil said, adding, "We had put many questions regarding farmers, unemployment and the coronavirus crisis... but the finance minister did not answer our questions."

On February 1, Ms. Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2022/23, which was criticised by Rahul Gandhi and other leaders as a "zero sum budget" with no provisions for the middle class or people from underprivileged or deprived parts of society.

She explained, "That was the Rahu Kaal." G-23 is produced by Rahu Kaal."

The G-23 is a group of 23 Congress politicians, including Sibal, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the party's leadership style.

"Senior party leaders are leaving the party." "Rahu Kaal," she explained.

The finance minister mocked the Congress party by citing instances against women in response to Priyanka Gandhi's slogan, "Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon."

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