Nirmala Sitharaman is not just the Finance Minister, but also the 'Missing Minister'.

New Delhi, The Congress launched a sharp attack on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday after her counterattack on Rahul Gandhi, claiming she is a ‘missing minister’ because she is absent during working hours and only appears when the Leader of the Opposition asks questions in the Lok Sabha.

The head of the party’s media department, Pawan Khera, also alleged that due to the wrong policies of the Modi government, the economy is now caught in a vortex. In fact, Finance Minister Sitharaman had counterattacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, saying that since 2014, ‘the government has been serving every section of society and every sector through its policies and steps.’

In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, Sitharaman responded to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, asking, ‘Are 58 crore Jan Dhan accounts for Adani/Ambani? 57 crore Mudra loan accounts… who are they for?’ Rahul Gandhi had targeted the BJP-led central government in his parliamentary constituency Raebareli on Tuesday, saying that an economic storm is coming in the country and inflation will keep rising until the current government is replaced.

Congress questions Jan Dhan and Mudra scheme figures

Targeting the Finance Minister, Khera told reporters, ‘Ministers of the Modi government are absent during working hours and come forward only to answer Rahul Gandhi. When Rahul Gandhi asks questions, they wake up. In this context, the country’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted last night and listed achievements related to Jan Dhan accounts and the Mudra scheme.’ He said, ‘Nirmala Sitharaman is the Finance Minister, but she is a missing minister. The government talks about Lakhpati Didi, but crores of women in the country are asking why you (Sitharaman) become a missing didi?’

Countering the figures presented by the Finance Minister, Khera said, ‘Out of 58 crore Jan Dhan accounts, 15 crore, that is more than 26 percent, are inactive. Also, 62 percent of accounts have less than 1,000 rupees. In the Mudra scheme, NPAs have risen above 10 percent, meaning there is no accountability left.’ He claimed that under the PM Internship Scheme, only 7.34 percent of people completed the first phase of internship, 41 percent dropped out midway, and only 0.6 percent of the budget for the PM Internship Scheme for the year 2025-26 has been utilized.

Khera said Modi government plunged the economy into crisis

Khera stated, ‘In 2014, LPG was available for 414 rupees, today it costs 915 rupees, an increase of 121 percent.’ He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, ‘Narendra Modi has a habit of moving the goalposts. First he asked for 60 days, then 60 months, and now he says give time until 2047. Prime Minister Modi will show dreams of 2047, but he won’t reveal the intermediate figures.’

The Congress leader said that in the last two months, the country’s foreign exchange reserves have decreased by 38 billion dollars, India’s trade surplus has fallen to 9 billion dollars due to the trade agreement with the US, and investments worth two lakh crore rupees have been withdrawn from the Indian economy in the last few months. Khera alleged that the Modi government has trapped the economy in a vortex.

Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha, or the House of the People, is the lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament, established in 1952 following the adoption of the Indian Constitution. It is composed of members directly elected by the Indian public, serving five-year terms, and plays a central role in lawmaking and representing the nation’s diverse population.

Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament, established in 1952 following the country’s first general elections under its 1950 Constitution. Its members are directly elected by the people, representing constituencies for a maximum term of five years. As the primary legislative body, it plays a crucial role in lawmaking, financial oversight, and holding the government accountable.

Raebareli

Raebareli is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, known for its deep political and cultural significance. It was a stronghold of the royal state of Oudh and later became a key center during India’s independence movement, notably associated with the Gandhi and Nehru families. Today, it remains an important political hub, serving as the parliamentary constituency of prominent leaders like Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.