Oversight Or Election Driven Hindsight: Priyanka To Sitharaman

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took a swipe at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for withdrawing the new interest rates on small savings announced by the government within 24 hours, questioning whether it was really an 'oversight' or election driven 'hindsight'.

"Really @nsitharaman 'oversight' in issuing the order to decrease interest rates on GOI schemes or election driven 'hindsight' in withdrawing it?" Priyanka said in a tweet.

Her remarks came after Sitharaman on Thursday said, "Interest rates of small savings schemes of government of India shall continue to be at the rates which existed in the last quarter of 2020-2021, i.e., rates that prevailed as of March 2021. Orders issued by oversight shall be withdrawn".

On Wednesday, the Finance Ministry had announced a sharp cut in the interest rates for small savings schemes by 50-110 basis points.

Congress National media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet also slammed the government and said, "Madam Finance Minister, are you running a 'circus' or a 'government'? One can imagine the functioning of economy when such duly approved order affecting crores of people can be issued by an 'oversight'. Who is the competent authority referred in order?

"You have no moral right to continue as Finance Minister," Surjewala said.

The government withdrew its order slashing interest rates on small savings schemes, including National Savings Certificates (NSC) and Public Provident Fund (PPF), for the first quarter of 2021-22 within 24 hours of its announcement.