Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rebuted criticism from the Congress against his government while speaking in Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi may have been visiting farmers in Maharashtra today, but he was placed centre-stage in Parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who used a series of snappy zingers to combat the young Congress leader.
"Yeh sooj-booj ki sarkar hai, suit-boot ki nahin," said the minister, describing his government as one driven by reason and common sense. Last week, Mr Gandhi had coined the phrase "suit-boot ki sarkar" to accuse the government of sacrificing the interests of the poor, especially farmers, to favour corporates.
Since his return from a nearly two-month long sabbatical from politics, and a heated Parliament session, Mr Gandhi, 44, has taken on the lead role in his party's campaign against the proposed land reforms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. Mr Gandhi has spoken thrice in Parliament in the last few days on farmers and rural distress, a deviation from a long record of abstinence in debates. Yesterday, amplifying the Congress' criticism of the PM's foreign trips, Mr Gandhi, who met with farmers in Punjab, said, "The PM is visiting India, he should stop by Punjab as well."
"Perhaps the PM travels abroad, but at least we know where he is," retaliated the Finance Minister today, referring to the often-clumsy attempts by the Congress to avoid commenting on where exactly Mr Gandhi spent his time off.
More than a dozen debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in recent weeks and the opposition has attacked the government for being slow to respond to extensive damage caused by unseasonal rains and hailstorms, and falling commodity prices.
The government used executive decrees in December and April to loosen acquisition rules requiring 80 percent consent from landowners, but needs parliament's approval to make the changes permanent. Farmers are concerned they will be forced to sell their holdings against their will.
The government has announced increased compensation for farmers who have suffered crop damage but says local officials are often to slow in releasing such funds.