Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for helping India navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, adding that people of the country must also be credited with “absorbing” the government’s strategies.
In an exclusive interview with Rahul Joshi, Group Editor-in-Chief, Network18, Sitharaman said she had no precedent before her to handle the situation as she looked back on the pandemic. “To capture the experiences, the ‘anubhav’ and look back at it now when you are probably slightly out of it is very difficult to describe in a short answer,” the FM said.
“There were no templates. There were no examples to follow. There were no theories that would have worked in such a context. Essentially, we were going by continuous conversation with all kinds of stakeholders. We had to engage in conversation with all people, take their view, and see which one works out and also have the courage to say one way may not work out for us,” she added.
Crediting PM Modi with guiding the country through a difficult phase, Sitharaman said: “I would immensely recall the ways in which PM Modi led the conversation with us. He would never tire of meeting us, would never say not today. Following all necessary precautions for Covid-19, we would still meet and talk about things.”
The FM said even while making decisions during the phase, one thing that was crucial to follow through was not let go of the opportunity to continue the reform process.
Even as she hailed the “stable, clear-headed” leadership of the country, Sitharaman — who presented her last full budget on February 1 ahead of the 2024 General Elections — also appreciated the people of the country for “absorbing” the schemes and decisions of the government.
“People have kept pace, have been clued in with the government’s policies. We did our homework for every reform. All the credit goes to the people of India who stood by the government,” she said.
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