NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday rejected the opposition’s charge that Budget allocations for green and clean energy were made keeping the Adani Group in mind, saying it might be Congress culture to give benefits to ‘jijas’ and ‘bhatijas’ but not of the Modi government.
Sitharaman had in Budget 2023-24 provided Rs 35,000 crore for clean energy transition — a space where the Adani Group has announced massive projects ranging from renewable energy capacity to green hydrogen production. These allocations have been tagged as ‘green growth’ Budget.
The FM said: “Kyun ki mera naam le kar ek vipaksh ke neta bole, kya Nirmala Sitharaman ne green mei itna amount allot kiya, kya itna amount kisiko mann mei rakhte hue allot kiya? (Since one opposition leader took my name and said, did Nirmala Sitharaman allocate so much amount to the green sector keeping in mind a particular individual?)
“Under PM Narendra Modi government, any allocation is not made keeping anyone specific in mind, rather by keeping everyone in mind. The government keeps country in mind. Such sort of remark is absolutely incorrect…” the minister said without naming any company or individual. She was replying to the general discussion on the Union Budget in the LS.
Proceedings of Parliament have been disrupted by opposition parties demanding a probe by a JPC or a Supreme Court monitored inquiry into allegations of financial fraud made by US-based Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.
Without naming Congress, Sitharaman said there were times when phone calls were made to banks for giving loans to benefit certain people. “…if phone calls were made, if relations were given benefit, if jijajis and bhatijas (brothers-in law and nephews) were given benefit, it might be their culture,” she said in an apparent dig at the Gandhi family.
“Under PM Modi, none of us do any of that. And therefore, any such allegation will be given back in the same language. I’m sorry…I can’t afford to have this kind of language,” Sitharaman said.
Sitharaman had in Budget 2023-24 provided Rs 35,000 crore for clean energy transition — a space where the Adani Group has announced massive projects ranging from renewable energy capacity to green hydrogen production. These allocations have been tagged as ‘green growth’ Budget.
The FM said: “Kyun ki mera naam le kar ek vipaksh ke neta bole, kya Nirmala Sitharaman ne green mei itna amount allot kiya, kya itna amount kisiko mann mei rakhte hue allot kiya? (Since one opposition leader took my name and said, did Nirmala Sitharaman allocate so much amount to the green sector keeping in mind a particular individual?)
“Under PM Narendra Modi government, any allocation is not made keeping anyone specific in mind, rather by keeping everyone in mind. The government keeps country in mind. Such sort of remark is absolutely incorrect…” the minister said without naming any company or individual. She was replying to the general discussion on the Union Budget in the LS.
Proceedings of Parliament have been disrupted by opposition parties demanding a probe by a JPC or a Supreme Court monitored inquiry into allegations of financial fraud made by US-based Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.
Without naming Congress, Sitharaman said there were times when phone calls were made to banks for giving loans to benefit certain people. “…if phone calls were made, if relations were given benefit, if jijajis and bhatijas (brothers-in law and nephews) were given benefit, it might be their culture,” she said in an apparent dig at the Gandhi family.
“Under PM Modi, none of us do any of that. And therefore, any such allegation will be given back in the same language. I’m sorry…I can’t afford to have this kind of language,” Sitharaman said.
