Economy destroyed by demonetisation, 'flawed' GST', 'failed' lockdown: Rahul on FM's 'Act of God' remark

A day after the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the economy is facing an extraordinary 'Act of God' situation, which may result in economic contraction, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rejected the Minister's claim and said the economy has been 'destroyed' by three actions -- demonetisation, 'flawed' GST and a 'failed' lockdown.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's remarks that the economy has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic which is an 'Act of God', saying the Indian economy has been 'destroyed' by three actions -- demonetisation, 'flawed' GST and a 'failed' lockdown.

Sitharaman on Thursday said the economy has been hit by the pandemic, which is an 'Act of God', and it will see a contraction in the current fiscal.

Tagging a news report on her remarks, Gandhi tweeted, "India's economy has been destroyed by three actions: 1. Demonetisation 2. Flawed GST 3. Failed lockdown. Anything else is a lie."

Sitharaman, who talked to reporters through video conferencing after 41st meeting of GST Council on Thursday, said the two options for compensating states on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to bridge revenue shortfall, will be available only for this year.

"This year we are facing an extraordinary situation. We are facing an act of God where we may even see a contraction of the economy," she said.

The former Congress president has been critical of the Modi government in the handling of the economy over the past few years.

(With inputs from PTI)