Priyanka Gandhi Vadra; PM Narendra Modi
NEW DELHI: Asked to comment on the rupee breaching the 90 mark against the US dollar for the first time, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2013 jibe at his predecessor, then–PM Manmohan Singh, and told reporters that the question should be directed to the prime minister, not her. Also Read | ‘Who is mute & maun now?’: Opposition hits out at PM Modi as rupee breaches Rs 90 mark against dollar“What did they use to say when Dr Manmohan Singh was prime minister? What is their response today? Ask them. Why are you asking me?” she said at Parliament complex.
On August 24, 2013, Modi — then the Gujarat chief minister — had attacked the then–PM over the falling rupee, saying both Singh and the domestic currency had become “mute.”“There was a time when the Indian rupee was making a lot of noise. But today it has lost its voice. And similarly, we are unable to hear the voice of our prime minister. Both have turned mute,” he had said at the time.“Today, our currency is on its deathbed. It is in the terminal stage and urgently needs the attention of a doctor,” he had remarked.On Wednesday, as the rupee breached the 90 level against the dollar, the opposition reminded PM Modi of his past remarks targeting Singh over the currency’s slide.Meanwhile, in early trade on Thursday, the rupee slid another 28 paise to a fresh all-time low of 90.43 against the US dollar. ‘Govt not losing sleep’: CEA NageswaranChief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran on Wednesday said the government is “not losing sleep” over the rupee’s decline.“The falling rupee is not affecting inflation or exports,” Nageswaran told reporters on the sidelines of a business event in the capital, according to news agency PTI.However, he expressed hope that the situation would improve next year.