'It is Congress who sold nation': Nirmala Sitharaman slams Rahul Gandhi for 'sold Bharat Mata' remark

Replying to the debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said it was the Congress, not the current government, that had “sold the country” and weakened India’s global standing.

“It is the Congress which sold the government, farmers, the poor and the nation. It was you who hyphenated India with Pakistan,” she said.

Referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks, she added, “Not a single person has been born till date who can sell India. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never do such a thing.”

Sharm el-Sheikh reference

The finance minister cited the 2009 Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Statement between then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, accusing the UPA government of diluting India’s position on sovereignty and security in its engagement with Pakistan.

“Those who wanted to negotiate with Pakistan at Sharm el-Sheikh are now giving us suggestions on negotiations,” she said.

The Sharm el-Sheikh meeting took place seven months after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

At the time, Dr Singh had reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.

The BJP has frequently criticised the UPA government for what it describes as a lack of a strong response following the attacks.

WTO ‘Peace Clause’ allegation

Sitharaman also alleged that India had compromised its interests during the 2013 World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Bali, Indonesia, held during the UPA’s tenure.

The Bali agreement included two major components — the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and provisions related to public stockholding for food security.

The finance minister claimed the Congress government had weakened the country’s position, particularly on matters affecting farmers and the poor.

“It was the Congress which not only sold the interests of the poor and farmers of this country but the country itself,” she said.

The exchange marks the latest escalation in the ongoing war of words between the ruling BJP and the Congress during the Budget session of Parliament.