'PM Modi Acts In India's Interest': Sitharaman Slams Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Mata Sold' Remark

Last Updated:February 11, 2026, 20:29 IST

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while PM Narendra Modi "always acts in India's interest", it was the previous Congress regime that "sold farmers"

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday came down heavily on leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his “Bharat Mata sold" remark as he hit out at the Centre over the India-US interim trade agreement.

Sitharaman said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi “always acts in India’s interest", it was the previous Congress regime that “sold farmers".

“PM Modi will always act in India’s interest whereas Congress govt surrendered before WTO, sold poor, farmers during its regime," said Sitharaman, replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Union Budget 2026.

Reacting to Gandhi’s speech, she called his concerns over India’s data “incorrect" and said she would like to respond to all the points he made. She said India is incentivising data centres so that the data stays in the country. 

“…I would like to answer all his (Rahul Gandhi’s) points. He expressed concerns over AI and data, that India’s data is going out to foreign countries. This is not correct," she said in the Lok Sabha. “We are incentivising data centres through which data can remain in India and Indian youth can get jobs. Without understanding this, he is saying we are giving our data to foreign countries."

News politics 'PM Modi Acts In India's Interest': Sitharaman Slams Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Mata Sold' Remark

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