Smriti Irani said the Congress's "problem is that Rs 6 lakh crore will come from disinvestment".
Union minister Smriti Irani slammed Congress's Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday over his takedown of the government in connection to the National Monetisation Pipeline, saying what is "upsetting the Congress is the 6 lakh crores that would raised". Mr Gandhi had spearheaded the Congress attack on the monetisation plan announced on Monday, saying it helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi "sell the country's crown jewels, built over 70 years with public money, to his industrialist friends".
His party said the privatisation list busts the BJP claim that the Congress has built nothing since Independence and this government is now selling it to cover up their mismanagement of the economy.
"In 70 years of Independence, the district the MP led (Amethi) did not even get a district hospital," hit back Ms Irani, who dislodged Mr Gandhi from family turf Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Their problem is that 6 lakh crore rupees will come from this disinvestment. That's why they are having trouble,"Ms Irani said.
Under the monetisation plan, upto 25 airports, 40 railway stations and 15 railway stadiums, among other installations, have been identified for private investment.
"One does not have to take any guesses or name them as everyone knows who is getting what," Mr Gandhi said, warning students, the young people and the farmers that the government's step will put their future at risk.
"As soon as these are privatised, there will be no more jobs left. Students please note that your future is being sold. Because once these are sold, then the privately-run firms will no longer need more employees. Farmers, please note that warehousing and cold storages are also being sold. Your future is at stake," he said.
Ms Irani pointed out that the process of privatisation had started under the UPA government. "What would you say about the airports being privatised during their tenure? Were they selling the country at that time?" she questioned.
The Congress, Mr Gandhi had said, was not against privatisation, which, under its government, was "logical and different".
"We did not privatise strategic assets. We never used to privatise any national loss-making asset... we never used to privatise anything which would lead to creating a monopoly. We were against monopolistic practices. These - ports, airports, warehouses, railways, etc. are all being sold to create monopolies. That is the difference," he had said, citing a long list of assets he claimed the Centre intends to privatise.
Ms Irani said infrastructure development has happened under the BJP government at a rapid pace and as a case in point, cited the advances of the pharma sector during Covid.
"When Corona came to the country, not a single PPE kit was made in the country. This started to be made under the leadership of PM Modi during the lockdown," the minister said.
The government on Monday said it would only monetise under-utilised assets and the ownership will remain with the centre.
"National Monetisation Pipeline talks about brownfield assets where investment is already being made, where there are assets either languishing or not fully monetised or under-utilised," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had underscored.