New Delhi: Several prominent figures from across the Twitter spectrum, including Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, rose to defend and laud Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over a viral audio clip where she is purportedly heard lashing out at SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar.
In the audio clip, which is believed to date back to February, Sitharaman is purportedly heard labelling state-run SBI “heartless” and “inefficient” after issues related to KYC norms rendered the bank accounts of around 2.5 lakh tea workers non-functional.
This had made the implementation of the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for tea garden workers difficult.
The purported comments were said to have been made at a meeting between Sitharaman and bankers in the last week of February on issues faced by Assam and the other northeastern states. The meeting was attended by Sarma and officials of the department of financial services. The clip was uploaded on YouTube Friday and widely shared Saturday.
Taking to Twitter Saturday, Sarma expressed his gratitude to Sitharaman for “championing the cause of these deprived workers”.
4/5 I'm grateful to @nsitharaman for championing the cause of these deprived workers. After her intervention, Assam Govt is working closely with the public sector banks of the region to ensure financial inclusion for the most underprivileged sections of society. @FinMinIndia
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 14, 2020
He also took exception to a statement issued by the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), a major trade union, against Sitharaman on 13 March.
5/5 The state of Assam will remain eternally grateful to our Union FM Smt @nsitharaman for such proactive stance abd I strongly oppose the statement
given by by All India Bank Officers Association @FinMinIndia @AssamFinDept pic.twitter.com/5EgcBpTxZT
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 14, 2020
The statement, which sought to condemn the “humiliation” of SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar, was subsequently withdrawn. Sitharaman later tweeted the withdrawal message, which said the statement had been “erroneously issued”.
https://t.co/5nRSVG9pxW pic.twitter.com/EIgwa9sZ5K
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 14, 2020
Also Read: In just 4 months as finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has become face of India’s slowdown
Many jump to Sitharaman’s defence
Sarma was just one of several people who sought to defend Sitharaman, who is known to lose her cool, over her purported comments at the Guwahati meeting.
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla said he admired Sitharaman for “standing up for the tea plantation workers who were suffering”.
I heard this clip & must say: I ADMIRE @nsitharaman ji for STANDING UP for the tea plantation workers who were suffering.
These are the poorest of poor @FinMinIndia & Nirmalaji were helping them. I may be against the BJP & a critic of @nsitharaman ji but here she must be PRAISED. https://t.co/xDBeYSLj7a
— Tehseen Poonawalla Official (@tehseenp) March 15, 2020
NDTV’s Nidhi Razdan tweeted that even though the Finance Minister might have been a bit harsh, she was “standing up for the rights of tea garden workers facing official apathy”.
Heard the audio and while the FM may have been a bit harsh in her tone, she was standing up for the rights of tea garden workers facing official apathy. I wonder if we would've seen this same commentary if the FM was a man @nsitharaman https://t.co/EesfilCEZI
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) March 15, 2020
Nistula Hebbar of The Hindu said the criticism lobbed at Sitharaman over the audio clip was unwarranted, saying male ministers would have been lauded for being aggressive on such an issue.
Just heard the @nsitharaman tape at the financial inclusion meeting in Guwahati. Seemed to be an impassioned intervention for financial inclusion of tea garden workers. Male ministers would have been (and have been) lauded for being aggressive on this issue.
— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) March 15, 2020
Journalist Rohini Singh said lethargy “about operationalising accounts of tea garden workers” was “pretty heartless”.
Frankly I do think the SBI chief deserved to be told off. Being lethargic about operationalising accounts of tea garden workers is pretty heartless! https://t.co/y0eVsRCZ7g
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) March 14, 2020
However, there were critics too, prominent among them journalist-activist Sucheta Dalal, who said PSU chiefs were not “serfs”.
Also Read: Nirmala Sitharaman must stop stonewalling questions on slowdown. Denial mode isn’t an option
Will the so called man women Nirmalji should show the same courage to speak in front of PM Modi where all turn silent (maun) and only he speaks and take decisions. Outside all speak and Modi take silent (moun).
Smt NS may be aggressive, but one has to look the reason behind it too… It’s SBI’s responsibility to clear the issue’s on time, as they are well aware of RBI guidelines. The poor can’t wait 45 days to access their account for a meagre amount.
Sitharaman’s taking sides with poor tea garden workers is laudable, but her crude outburst on SBI chairman was embarrassing even to listen to. I don’t know when this took place, but was it a way of softening him up to be a Sucker in the YES BANK saga?
Mrs sitharaman, should know why these account became inoperative or non functional. Because of RBI kyc guideline. Now she is blaming SBI, is this SBI job to tell RBI to modify your policy guideline. I think its Government illogical arrogance.
For every thing wrong, others are responsible.
This is not going to produce any positive result.
Note down Mrs Sitharaman.
Bank is doing their best, but because of your intervention/ governments illogical intervention making things worst.
Think twice, this will not produce good result.
Hope you will leave your arrogance
Thanking you
Rightly said, these KYC norms have been complicated in BJP period. As bank officers we all experienced much trouble and unnecessary time loss to complete KYC norms. I do not also deny SBI fault and bad customer service.
Instead of bringing the binary of male / female, as FM, Nirmala is doing very well. She has been tested several times for her public sensitivities and quick responses. I wish she continue to fulfil the objectives set for her by Modi’s government.
One would beg to disagree. Gender has nothing to do with this. Preeti Patel has behaved abominably with her Permanent Secretary, leading to his resignation and decision to sue the government. It has nothing to do with her skin colour, either. There are well settled conventions how senior functionaries should be dealt with, unhappiness conveyed.