Cong Sold Resources, Nade Kickbacks, Says Sitharaman As Rahul Criticises NMP

Mumbai: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that it was Congress that sold the country’s resources and made kickbacks in it.

Her statement came after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP).

Sitharaman added, “Does he (Rahul Gandhi) understand what monetisation is?”

On Tuesday, the former Congress president had called the NMP a “huge tragedy”, saying the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government had handled the economy unfairly and the move was aimed at creating a monopoly in certain sectors.

Also Read: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Launches ₹6 Lakh Crore ‘National Monetisation Pipeline’

Addressing the press conference, he said that what India has made in the last 70 years is being given.

“There’s an excuse they’ve come up with that we’re leasing these out. The government clearly handled the economy the wrong way and doesn’t know what to do.”

Rahul said the saffron party and PM Modi say nothing happened in the last 70 years, the finance minister decided to sell the assets created in the last 70 years.

His remarks came after Sitharaman launched the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) on Monday. The NMP includes the Centre’s four-year plan to monetise its brownfield infrastructure assets.

The BJP defended the NMP, saying the policy will strengthen development in all areas and does not involve the sale of land, but is about leasing out dead properties.

The government is planning to monetise a Rs 6 lakh crore pipeline of assets which includes a range of assets put on the block for private sector participation, over a four-year period.

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