New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks that the Tata Group is being “criminally destroyed”, accusing the Leader of the Opposition of politicising commercial disputes and spreading distrust towards Indian industry.
The exchange took place on Wednesday after Gandhi raised concerns about the ongoing dispute within the Tata Group. In a post on social media, he alleged that business leaders were afraid to speak out and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of treating Indian businesses as their “plaything”.
Gandhi also questioned the silence of industry leaders and vowed to ensure justice over what he described as wrongdoing affecting the conglomerate.
Responding to his remarks, Sitharaman urged Gandhi to avoid politicising every issue and questioned his decision to describe commercial and legal matters as criminal without sufficient grounds.
She accused the Congress leader of repeatedly criticising the achievements of Indian businesses and entrepreneurs, asking whether he was attempting to encourage industry leaders to join him in spreading distrust.
The finance minister also criticised the Congress’s economic legacy, alleging that the party had suppressed entrepreneurial growth for decades through the licence quota system and contributed to widespread poverty.
In contrast, she said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognised Indian businesses as important drivers of employment and economic growth. She maintained that government policies were designed to encourage investment, support industry and create opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Sitharaman further challenged Gandhi’s remarks about ensuring justice, arguing that the Constitution guarantees justice to citizens and that courts are responsible for upholding it. She accused the Congress leadership and previous governments led by the party of undermining the judiciary.
Concluding her response, she told Gandhi to refrain from “seeing ghosts everywhere”.
The political exchange comes amid a dispute over the leadership of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.
On Monday, Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata challenged a September 17 board resolution concerning the reappointment of N Chandrasekaran as Tata Sons chairman for another five year term.
Noel Tata reportedly argued that the resolution was invalid because the reappointment was considered out of turn and had not been included in the meeting’s agenda.
During the board meeting, Tata Trusts Vice Chairman Venu Srinivasan and three other directors supported Chandrasekaran’s reappointment, while Noel Tata opposed it. The presiding chairman’s casting vote was subsequently used to resolve the division, intensifying the disagreement within the group’s leadership.
The dispute has brought the internal governance of one of India’s largest business conglomerates into the political spotlight, with the confrontation between Gandhi and Sitharaman adding another dimension to the controversy.
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