"'Andha Kaal' Was Under Congress": Nirmala Sitharaman Slams Budget Critics
NDTV
Opposition parties had earlier said that this year's union budget had neglected the poor and farmers and provided no relief to the middle class hurting from the pandemic.
There was indeed "Andha Kaal" or dark age in the country, but it was during Congress rule, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday, rebutting opposition criticism of her latest union budget and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wordplay on the government's "Amrit Kaal" plan.
"A senior member of the house said 'This is not Amrit Kaal, this is 'Andha Kaal'," Ms Sitharaman said in parliament, defending the government's label for the next 25 years leading up to 100 years of Independence.
"He (Shashi Tharoor) said India is facing 'andha kaal'. Sir, there was an andh kaal, but it was by the Congress," the Finance Minister said.
"In 1991, we had foreign exchange reserve for two weeks and we also know about the Emergency, that was andha kaal," she said.
