The NCP on Sunday described as "absurd" Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's 'rupee not sliding, but dollar strengthening' remark, and said she must focus on her ministry instead of making efforts for the BJP's win in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also said that safeguarding the country's economy was Sitharaman's foremost duty as the finance minister.
During her ongoing visit to the USA, Sitharaman has said that the rupee has not weakened but it is the dollar that has strengthened, and defended the eight per cent slide in the value of Indian currency against the greenback this year.
Speaking to reporters in Washington DC after attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, she also asserted that the fundamentals of the Indian economy were strong and that inflation was low compared to other parts of the world.
In a statement, NCP spokesperson Cylde Crasto alleged, "The 'rupee not sliding, but dollar strengthening' is an absurd statement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Making such statements will not hide the failure of her government in taking care of our country's economy."
"She must concentrate more on looking after her ministry and focus less on trying to win Lok Sabha constituencies for the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024. She must not forget that she is the finance minister and her duty is to safeguard the economy of India first, he said.
Sitharaman had recently spent three days in Baramati as part of the BJP's campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. Baramati is the home turf of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and the Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule.
Crasto further said that Sitharaman must refrain from making such statements that lead to mockery. The rupee settled at 82.35 against the US dollar on Friday, having touched another record low of 82.68 on Monday.
-With PTI Input
