"Told I'm Worst Finance Minister": Nirmala Sitharaman Rebuffs Criticism

The government listens to criticism and is always ready to respond to it, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in parliament today, referring to industrialist Rahul Bajaj's blunt question to Home Minister Amit Shah at an event, a video of which has gone viral on social media. Replying to a debate on the economic slowdown in the Lok Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman called Amit Shah's response to Mr Bajaj an example of the government's willingness to listen. "I was on the dais. It was with the attitude that we are willing to hear criticism and respond to it, rather than say you can't speak at all. The Home Minister's response shows we are quite happy to hear," said the Finance Minister, who was among the BJP leaders to respond sharply to Mr Bajaj asking Amit Shah about what he believed was an atmosphere of fear and "a lack of confidence" in confronting the government with critical questions.