New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday took an apparent jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government over the latter's "muft ki revdi" (freebies) comment, saying loans up to Rs 10 lakh crore of corrupt businessmen were waived in the last five years.
Mehul Choksi and Rishi Agarwal top the list of those who received "muft ki revdi", Gandhi wrote in a tweet in Hindi as he shared a government reply in Parliament about the top 10 defaulter firms.
Choksi and Agarwal are associated with two of those firms.
"The same Parliament that expects the poor to express thanks at receiving five kg grains also says bad loans of Rs 10 lakh crore of corrupt businessmen have been waived in the last five years. Who has the first right over the government treasury?" Varun Gandhi asked.
According to news agency PTI, the tweet was also seemingly referring to another BJP MP's remarks during a debate in Parliament where he said that PM Modi has been providing free foodgrains to 80 crore poor people since the COVID-19 outbreak. The government deserves praise for this, the MP had said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi stirred a debate recently as he criticised some political parties for offering "muft ki revdi" for electoral gains. The comment was in reference to freebies as poll promises ahead of elections. This is very harmful for the country's development, he had said.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took an exception to the remark and responded by saying that his government’s schemes for free education, healthcare, and electricity were not "freebies" but efforts to lay the foundation for making India the number one country in the world.
(With Agency Inputs)
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