Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday(December 2) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is a government that pays equal attention to both criticism and inputs. Sitharaman said that when Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded to an industrialist about the economic condition, he spoke with a clear attitude that this government is open to hear criticism.

"We are a government that listens, whether it iscriticism or an input. When Home Minister responded to an industry leader, itwas with a clear attitude that we are willing to hear or take criticism,"Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Taxation Laws(Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Sitharaman said that PM Modi listens to all the questionsand criticisms and he has replied to all the questions in Parliament. Taking adig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Sitharaman said that those who claim thatModi government is 'suit-boot ki sarkar' are completely wrong because those whoare benefiting from Ujjawala Yojna, Ayushmaan Yojna and PM Kisan Samman NidhiYojna are not wearing 'suit-boot' and they are not our brothers too.

Referring to PM Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan under which 11crore toilets have been built across the country in last five years, Sitharamansaid that those who benefited from this scheme are not pur brother-in-laws. Ina scathing attack on the Congress, Sitharaman said that the BJP is not a partywhich works for the benefit of brother-in-law (read Robert Vadra).

Sitharaman also slammed her critics for dubbing her theworst Finance Minister since independence and said that her detractors are noteven waiting for the end of her tenure.

"I have been told that I am the worst Finance Minister,they're not even waiting for me to finish my term. I told them that please giveme more ideas, we will work on it. If there's a government that listens, it isPM Modi's govt," she said.

Sitharaman also trained guns at Congress leader Adhir RanjanChowdhury for calling her 'Nirbala' (weak) Sitharaman and said that those whoare calling her names in Parliament are running away from Parliament afterasking questions because it is in there DNA.

"I have been called names in Parliament. If it is inanyone's DNA to ask questions & run away before answers are given, it issome other party and not our party. Each time we come to give replies insteadof name-calling," she noted.

Earlier on Monday (December 2), Chowdhury had sparked apolitical row by saying in Lok Sabha that even though he respects FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman, he thinks that she should be called 'Nirbala'(weak) because she is unable to assert herself much on policies of thegovernment.