Rahul Gandhi and Nirmala Sitharaman (R)

NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday mounted a strong defence of the Modi government’s record while taking aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “undermining” India’s achievements in an attempt to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre.Addressing BJP workers at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Samavesha in Bengaluru to mark 12 years of the Modi government, Sitharaman said Rahul Gandhi continued to paint a bleak picture of the country despite India’s economic resilience amid global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in West Asia.According to her, Rahul Gandhi constantly says that everything is going to crumble in the next few weeks. The LoP keeps saying that there is a big disaster awaiting, but there is no disaster awaiting India.Rahul Gandhi has recently claimed that “economic tsunami” is awaiting India due to West Asia crisis.“Every time the Congress’s leader of opposition speaks in the Lok Sabha, it is only to decry everything, undermine the achievements of the people of India, thinking that he is undermining Prime Minister Modi or the central government,” she said.The finance minister dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s repeated warnings about looming crises, insisting that India’s economic fundamentals remain strong.“On the contrary, quarter after quarter, year after year India is the fastest growing economy,” she underlined.Sitharaman said India’s performance was not a claim made by the government alone but was reflected in GDP figures and acknowledged by international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).She accused the Congress leader of creating a false perception about the country’s economic health by repeatedly suggesting that India was headed for trouble.“Yet the leader of the opposition and his party continue to undermine India. They try to make people believe that India is in trouble. Even amidst crises in West Asia and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, India continues to move forward.”Highlighting the challenges posed by tensions in the Gulf region, Sitharaman explained how disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz affect not just energy supplies but global trade and shipping costs.“These challenges affect not only crude oil prices and LPG prices but also global shipping. Shipping companies hesitate to send vessels through conflict zones. Insurance premiums increase because ships risk being attacked. Whether a vessel is empty or carrying crude oil, insurance costs rise significantly, and those costs ultimately have to be paid to ensure supplies reach the country.”Despite these challenges, she said, the Modi government had ensured uninterrupted supplies and economic stability.“Unfortunately, none of this seems to matter to the leader of the opposition,” Sitharaman said.Calling on BJP workers to spread awareness about the government’s achievements, the finance minister described the Viksit Bharat campaign as a national mission aimed at transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.“India fought for its independence in 1947. It was a great movement—the freedom movement. For us to attain economic freedom, self-respect, self-reliance and true Swaraj, we must work towards Viksit Bharat (Developed India). Therefore, this Sankalp Samavesh is a commitment towards that movement. All of us must participate in it.”Sitharaman highlighted what she described as the Modi government’s twin focus on development and welfare, citing reductions in poverty, expanded sanitation coverage, tap water connections, LPG access and food security programmes.“Twenty-five crore Indians have come out of multidimensional poverty. Extreme poverty has declined from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to about 11.28 per cent. Twelve crore household toilets have been built under rural sanitation programmes, achieving near-universal coverage,” she claimed.She also pointed to the expansion of India’s digital public infrastructure, saying the combination of Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar and mobile connectivity had transformed governance and service delivery.According to Sitharaman, India today has 58 crore Jan Dhan accounts, 144 crore Aadhaar identities and 125 crore mobile connections, while UPI has emerged as a global benchmark for digital payments.The finance minister also rejected allegations that Karnataka had been neglected by the Centre, citing tax devolution, grants and infrastructure investments received by the state.“The Karnataka government frequently claims that the Centre is not giving the state its due share. Let us look at the facts. Tax devolution to Karnataka between 2014 and 2026 amounted to about Rs four lakh crore—five times more than the Rs 82,000 crore received in the comparable pre-2014 period,” Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, said.She added that Karnataka had also received around Rs 2.71 lakh crore in grants-in-aid and over Rs 18,000 crore under the Centre’s 50-year interest-free loan scheme.Looking ahead to India’s centenary year of independence in 2047, Sitharaman said building a developed nation would require participation beyond governments alone.“We have only 21 years left until 2047. It may sound distant, but it is not. India needs greater innovation. Karnataka is India’s innovation capital. It has led aerospace development, defence manufacturing and biotechnology. Therefore, the responsibility cannot be left to the government alone.”“All of us must commit ourselves so that ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ helps India achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” she added.