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Arun Jaitley Mocks Rahul Gandhi's Padyatra, Defends Modi Government

Arun Jaitley Mocks Rahul Gandhi's Padyatra, Defends Modi Government
Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting of India talks during the session 'An Insight, An Idea' in the congress centre at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 22, 2015.WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Jolanda Flubacher
World Economic Forum/Flickr
Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting of India talks during the session 'An Insight, An Idea' in the congress centre at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 22, 2015.WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Jolanda Flubacher

NEW DELHI -- Ridiculing Congress Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Modi government, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said that India is now seen as a global leader under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's

leadership.

Jaitley also used the occasion to take a jibe at Gandhi's recent 56-day sabbatical.

Dismissing Gandhi's "suit-boot ki sarkar" remark, Jaitley described the Modi government as one of "sooj-bhooj" (reason and common sense).

"India is now being considered a global leader and that is no mean achievement. It was unheard of, that when a prime minister travels abroad, the entire diaspora is rejuvenated. Prime Minister Modi may travel abroad, but at least we know where he is," he said in the Lok Sabha, referring to the mystery surrounding Gandhi's whereabouts during his sabbatical.

Admitting that the ongoing agrarian crisis is a challenge, Jaitley told the Lok Sabha that the government is committed to helping the farmers."The agrarian crisis is a challenge, but we have many reforms which are currently in the pipeline. The government is helping the farmers," he said.

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