FM called 1991 reforms half-baked, master chef Gadkari baked it fully: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her remarks a few weeks ago calling the 1991 reforms "half-baked", and said "master chef" Nitin Gadkari" has baked it fully and well by paying fulsome tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Union Minister Gadkari had on Tuesday said the country is indebted to former prime minister Singh for the economic reforms of 1991 started by him as the finance minister.

Speaking in September at an event, Sitharaman had said that the 1991 economic reforms undertaken by the then Congress government were "aadhe-adhure reforms" (half-baked reforms), where the economy was not opened in the right way but as per the strictures imposed by the IMF.

Taking a dig at Sitharaman, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "On 16th September, Madam Finance Minister had belittled 1991 reforms by terming it 'half-baked'. Yesterday, the MasterChef Gadkari has baked it fully and well by paying fulsome tributes to Dr. Manmohan Singh for the 1991 economic reforms."

"I hope she can digest it now," Ramesh said on Twitter.

In his remarks at an event here, Gadkari had said, "Liberal economy ke karan desh ko nayee disha mili, uske liye Manmohan Singh Ka desh reeni hai (The country is indebted to Manmohan Singh for the liberalisation that gave a new direction)."

Gadkari also recalled that he could raise money to build roads in Maharashtra when he was a minister in Maharashtra in the mid-1990s due to economic reforms initiated by the former prime minister.