We Listen To Criticism: Nirmala Sitharaman Tells Lok Sabha Amid Row Over Rahul Bajaj's Remarks

Days after industralialist Rahul Bajaj asked incriminating questions to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday argued that her government was "willing to listen to criticism and terying to respond". During an event organised by The Economic Times newspaper, veteran business tycoon Rahul Bajaj had recently told Amit Shah that the Narendra Modi government was averse to criticism while people were free to criticse during the UPA rule.

Referring to Amit Shah's response to Bajaj's concerns, Sitharaman said, "I was on the dais. It was with the attitude that we are willing to hear criticism and respond to it, rather than say you can't speak at all. The Home Minister's response shows we are quite happy to hear."

Sitharaman claimed that if there is a government that listens to the criticism, it is the Narendra Modi government. "I have been told that I am the worst Finance Minister, they're not even waiting for me to finish my term. I told them that please give me more ideas, we will work on it. If there's a government that listens, it is PM Modi's government," she claimed.

However, the finance minister had not taken Bajaj's criticism positively and accused him of harming national interest by spreading his own impressions. "Questions/criticisms are heard and answered/addressed. Always a better way to seek an answer than spreading one's own impressions which, on gaining traction, can hurt national interest," she had tweeted.

Responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan's "Nirbala" (weak) remark, the finance minister said that every women in her party was a "Sabla" (strong). Sitharaman said that she is often called names but still she come to give replies on questions asked in the house. 

"I have been called names in Parliament. If it is in anyone's DNA to ask questions and run away before answers are given, it is some other party and not our party. Each time we come to give replies instead of name-calling," she said.