Finance Minister Tears Into Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha Speech, Calls It ‘Stupid Self-Confidence’

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, calling out his "stupid self-confidence." Her comments came after Gandhi, in his Lok Sabha speech, claimed that India's reluctance to manufacture had enabled China to "sit inside the country."

In an interview with India Today, Sitharaman hit back, accusing the Congress of failing to strengthen India's manufacturing sector during its 10-year UPA rule. She questioned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Congress had signed with China at the time, demanding transparency.

"During your rule, you went to China and signed an agreement. Why don't you disclose its contents? Why don't you talk about the land China took from Kashmir and Ladakh during Congress rule?" she asked.

Sitharaman's remarks came in response to Gandhi's claim that India was becoming a consumption-driven economy, benefiting only a few businessmen.

"Look at that stupid self-confidence with which he stands up," the Finance Minister remarked.

What Rahul Gandhi Said

Earlier on Monday, during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Rahul Gandhi blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative for failing to boost manufacturing, claiming that its failure had allowed China to occupy Indian territory.

"Even though we have grown fast, we have not been able to tackle unemployment. Neither the UPA nor the NDA has given the youth a clear answer on jobs," he admitted.

While acknowledging that Modi's push for manufacturing was good in principle, he argued that India had failed in its execution.

Shifting to the India-China border issue, Gandhi alleged that China was "sitting on over 4,000 sq km" of Indian territory, contradicting the government's claim that no land had been lost. He even suggested that the Army's statements had contradicted the Prime Minister's claims.