Unlike Congress, we didn't favour big businessmen, says Arun Jaitley

Lucknow: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the Modi government had not given any relaxation to businessmen as was being alleged by the Congress.

The finance minister alleged that the main culprit behind these loan defaulter cases was the Congress, and it was in its regime that huge amount of money was given to these businessmen, which was later not recovered.

“Those who are raising fingers at the BJP should know that our government never provided any loan to big businessmen. The amount that these entrepreneurs have to pay is the interest on the loans given to them under the Congress rule,” Mr Jaitley said while addressing a press conference here.

Talking about the ongoing Assembly elections, the minister said the BJP’s main competition was with the BSP in the first phase but said the party was way ahead with around 50 seats. “Those who have always supported communal politics and focused on their vote banks have now joined hands to form an alliance. The people of UP will support the BJP and not this opportunist alliance,” he said.

Mr Jaitley said if the BJP forms a government, the Centre and state government will work together to develop the state.

Replying to a question, he said the Union budget was focused on relieving the country from the continuous increase in prices. “We did not touch the indirect taxes in the Budget, and ended the practice of increasing prices in every Budget. Demonetisation and GST will have a long-term impact on Indian financial structure. Our first priority is to spend on rural population of the country,” he said. Responding to another question, he said the UP chief minister has realised his party will not be able to retain power in UP.

“SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has humiliated his brother Shivpal Yadav to handover the party leadership to his son Akhilesh. The SP-Congress manifesto was a complete copy of the earlier BSP government,” he said.