Nirmala Sitharaman tweets in response to Rahul Bajaj's lack of freedom comment

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Spreading one's own impressions can hurt national interest if it gains traction, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in response to industrialist Rahul Bajaj's lack of freedom comment.

The businessman, Chairman of the Bajaj group, told Home Minister Amit Shah that people are afraid of criticising the government's policies. Bajaj said no one in the business community would speak about this issue.

Sitharaman praised Shah's response to Bajaj's concerns, highlighting that questions and criticisms are answered and addressed. "Always a better way to seek an answer than spreading one’s own impressions which, on gaining traction, can hurt national interest," the finance minister said in the tweet. 

Home Minister @AmitShah answers on how issues raised by Shri. Rahul Bajaj were addressed. Questions/criticisms are heard and answered/addressed. Always a better way to seek an answer than spreading one’s own impressions which, on gaining traction, can hurt national interest. https://t.co/WytSpyRyP6

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) December 1, 2019

The exchange between Shah and Bajaj took place at an recent event organised by The Economic Times. "You are doing good work, but despite that we don’t have the confidence that you will appreciate if we criticise you openly," Bajaj said, as quoted by the paper.

Shah responded that no one needs to be afraid, and if there is an atmosphere of intolerance, then the government will have to work to improve the situation. "If someone has been written about (and criticised) the most, that’s us," Shah stated.