The Congress on Thursday mocked the government after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s significant absence at a meeting with top economists ahead of the upcpming Union Budget. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari, and others.
“How many men does it take to do a woman’s job?” the Congress tweeted after the meeting.
The Centre had in December invited suggestions from people for the Union Budget, which is likely to be presented on February 1. Responding to this, the Congress tweeted: “Here’s a suggestion, next budget meeting, consider inviting the Finance Minister.”
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in a tweet, also wondered where Sitharaman was. “Same question again: What’s going on here? Finance minister indisposed?” he asked.
Sitharaman’s office responded to Tharoor. “Sir, the minister has already met economists on 20th Dec 2019, as a part of the pre-budget consultations,” the office said, with a photo from December 20 of the meeting.
Sitharaman’s office also tweeted photos of her meetings with Kotak Mahindra Bank Managing Director Uday Kotak and Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
At the time Sitharaman, in fact, was at a pre-budget consultation in New Delhi, but at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters, with party leaders and office-bearers, the party tweeted. The Karnataka unit of the BJP, in response, tweeted that the question was being posed by a party whose prime minister “went missing for ten long years”
Twitter users also pointed out that Sitharaman was not present at a Budget meeting despite being the finance minister.
The state of the economy
The Budget is likely to be presented on February 1. The Budget Session of Parliament will be held in two phases from January 31 to April 3, according to recommendations by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. The first phase of the session will be from January 31 to February 11 and the second phase from March 2 to April 3.
Budget 2020 will come amid an economic slowdown. The Indian economy is expected to grow 5% in the 2019-’20 financial year compared to 6.8% last year, the National Statistical Office said in the first advance estimates released on Tuesday. If this bears out, it will be the slowest annual growth in Gross Domestic Product since 2008-’09. Weakening consumption and stagnating private investment are believed to be the reasons behind the economic slowdown.
Figures released in November showed that GDP growth slumped to a six-year low the month before , while industrial output contracted. In November, the output of eight core infrastructure industries declined 1.5% – the fourth straight month of a contraction – compared to November 2018.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!