Sitharaman Rebukes Rahul Gandhi Over Allegations on Public Sector Banks
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2024-12-12 04:28 GMT
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman strongly criticized Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for his comments regarding the functioning of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) under the Modi government. Responding to Gandhi's accusations that PSBs have been turned into "private financiers for the rich and powerful," Sitharaman highlighted the significant reforms and improvements in the banking sector during the Modi regime.
On Wednesday, Gandhi, in a post on X, accused the Modi government of undermining the primary purpose of PSBs, stating: "Public Sector Banks were designed to give every Indian access to credit. The Modi government has turned these lifelines of the masses into private financiers for only the rich and powerful corporations."
On Wednesday, Gandhi, in a post on X, accused the Modi government of undermining the primary purpose of PSBs, stating: "Public Sector Banks were designed to give every Indian access to credit. The Modi government has turned these lifelines of the masses into private financiers for only the rich and powerful corporations."
Countering these remarks, Sitharaman took to X to label Gandhi's claims as "baseless" and emphasized the turnaround of PSBs under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's penchant for making baseless statements is on full display, yet again. India's banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks, has seen a remarkable turnaround under @PMOIndia @narendramodi," Sitharaman posted.
"Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's penchant for making baseless statements is on full display, yet again. India's banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks, has seen a remarkable turnaround under @PMOIndia @narendramodi," Sitharaman posted.
She accused the previous Congress-led UPA regime of mismanaging PSBs, describing them as "ATMs" for their cronies and shady businessmen. Sitharaman alleged that during the UPA's tenure, PSBs were pressured into providing loans to select individuals through "phone banking" orchestrated by government functionaries.
"PSBs were treated as 'ATMs' for their cronies and shady businessmen. It was actually during the UPA regime when bank employees were harassed and forced to give loans to cronies through 'phone banking.' Didn't the people who met with the LoP tell him that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had significantly deteriorated the health of PSBs?" she wrote.
Sitharaman further credited the Modi government for launching the Asset Quality Review in 2015, which exposed the legacy issues of indiscriminate lending under the UPA. She also highlighted the substantial recapitalization of PSBs, amounting to ₹3.26 lakh crore, to restore their financial health.
The Finance Minister also pointed out several flagship initiatives introduced during the Modi government, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, which facilitated the opening of 54 crore bank accounts and PM MUDRA Yojana, Stand-Up India, and PMSVANidhi, which together sanctioned 52 crore collateral-free loans.
Sitharaman dismissed Gandhi's statements as a misrepresentation of facts, calling them an insult to hardworking PSB employees and the citizens benefiting from financial inclusion schemes.
She added: "Rahul Gandhi's misrepresentation of facts is an insult to the hardworking PSB employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. It's high time the INC India up-skills the LoP's understanding of governance."
The Finance Minister concluded by emphasizing that under PM Modi's leadership, PSBs have transitioned into robust financial institutions, catering to the needs of every citizen and contributing to inclusive economic growth.
"PSBs were treated as 'ATMs' for their cronies and shady businessmen. It was actually during the UPA regime when bank employees were harassed and forced to give loans to cronies through 'phone banking.' Didn't the people who met with the LoP tell him that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had significantly deteriorated the health of PSBs?" she wrote.
Sitharaman further credited the Modi government for launching the Asset Quality Review in 2015, which exposed the legacy issues of indiscriminate lending under the UPA. She also highlighted the substantial recapitalization of PSBs, amounting to ₹3.26 lakh crore, to restore their financial health.
The Finance Minister also pointed out several flagship initiatives introduced during the Modi government, such as the Jan Dhan Yojana, which facilitated the opening of 54 crore bank accounts and PM MUDRA Yojana, Stand-Up India, and PMSVANidhi, which together sanctioned 52 crore collateral-free loans.
Sitharaman dismissed Gandhi's statements as a misrepresentation of facts, calling them an insult to hardworking PSB employees and the citizens benefiting from financial inclusion schemes.
She added: "Rahul Gandhi's misrepresentation of facts is an insult to the hardworking PSB employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. It's high time the INC India up-skills the LoP's understanding of governance."
The Finance Minister concluded by emphasizing that under PM Modi's leadership, PSBs have transitioned into robust financial institutions, catering to the needs of every citizen and contributing to inclusive economic growth.