Consult an expert: ​​Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Rahul Gandhi's 'stealing from RBI' jibe

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hit out at Rahul Gandhi for accusing the government of stealing from the Reserve Bank, saying the Congress leader should have consulted his own past finance ministers before levelling such charges.

She said the RBI decision to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the government this fiscal was based on the recommendations of the Bimal Jalan panel that was appointed by the central bank itself to look into its economic capital framework.

“The Congress should have consulted its own finance ministers and senior leaders before making these allegations regarding the RBI,” Sitharaman told reporters here. “They have become an expert in making such allegations of stealing and I do not want to pay much heed to this.”


She was in Pune as part of her ministry’s programme to hear taxpayers and tax officials in different cities.

The finance minister said it is “outlandish” to question the credibility of the Reserve Bank, and also “worrying” if questions are raised against the Bimal Jalan panel of eminent experts.

The panel went into the issue of excess RBI capital like the earlier two panels on the subject and considered all important aspects, including financial stability and contingency requirements, before coming at its formula, based on which the capital is being transferred, she said.

Without explicitly mentioning the Rafale controversy, Sitharaman said Congress is used to making allegations of stealing or calling someone a thief, and wondered why it persists with it despite the electoral drubbing.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had tweeted that the prime minister and the finance minister are “clueless” about solving the “self-created economic disaster” and accused them of “stealing money” from the central bank.

SOPS FOR AUTO SECTOR
Sitharaman said she had announced a set of measures on Friday and is awaiting to hear from the industry on the same before taking any further moves. As for the call for GST cuts, she said it is in the hands of the GST Council. “I am willing to hear any number of people whoever wants to speak on GST rates, but it is not in my hands,” she said.

ON TAX ADMINISTRATION
The minister advised tax administrators from tier II cities to exercise a bit of “restraint”. She said the targets and deadlines given to tax officials are decided in consultation with all the authorities. “They are not impossible deadlines; they are achievable, realistic deadlines,” she said.