Congress promises are like unfulfilled dreams: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

INDORE: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused Congress of ‘cheating’ farmers on the pretext of farm loan waiver and said that promises made by Congress are ‘unfulfilled dreams.’
Sitharaman said, “People’s belief over the Congress every time is like a dream never fulfilled. The believing over the Congress promises will not be a fulfilled dream.”
Sitharaman was addressing a press meet in Indore in the divisional office of BJP. She said that the Congress cheated and misled farmers cumulatively for Rs 25,000 crore for farm loan waiver promises made since 2009 to the last 15 months of government in Madhya Pradesh.
"Whenever the Congress has come to power, they have cheated and misled the farmers. We have been hearing their slogans for poverty alleviation since the 1975 but they did not take any concrete steps for this,” Union minister said.
The finance minister said former CM Kamal Nath did not implement 51 welfare schemes of the Union government.
“The Congress government didn’t send a list of farmers in the state for the PM Kisan scheme. So, do they really care for farmers,” Sitharaman said.
Sitharaman also questioned the silence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on atrocities on women in Congress ruled Rajasthan. “In Rajasthan, especially on Dalit women, such terrible atrocities are being committed that one gets scared after watching the news on television and reading newspapers,” she said.
“The Rajasthan government is not taking any action. But Priyanka does not say anything on this. She does not go to Rajasthan and question the CM there. She goes to other states and gives lectures,” the Union minister said.
Sitharaman said that the BJP and the Union government have been in favour of bringing petroleum products under the GST regime from the beginning as it will benefit the people.
“Who are the people who are stopping petrol and diesel from being brought under GST? If Priyanka is in favour of bringing petrol and diesel under GST, she should ask every state government of Congress to agree to it in the GST Council,” she said. The media should question the Congress on it, she demanded.
The minister defended the BJP led state government for Ladli Behna scheme launched just before the election. “Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Scheme is not the first scheme for women. Even before this there was the Ladli Lakshmi Scheme and Sambal Scheme for empowering women in the state,” she said.
“It is not a freebie as funds are allocated from the state’s budget following a discussion in the assembly,” claimed Sitharaman adding, “The GDP to debt ratio was 31% and now it is reduced to around 27%. The state has developed under the Shivraj led BJP government in the last two decades.”
The loan outstanding on the state stood at 3,78, 616.5 lakh crore as on March 31, 2023, when the state annual budget for 2023-24 was 3,14, 25000 lakh crore, according to RBI record. TNN