NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated in the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the Congress party began privatisation in 1991 in response to the Malhotra Committee's findings.

In response to a question about the Union Budget for 2022-23, she stated that the Congress began the privatisation process in 1991, and that over Rs one lakh crore in disinvestment was made in 1991 and subsequent years.

"I have a question for the Congress party. Is privatisation something you want or something you don't want? What is the justification for the nearly one lakh crore disinvestment during the UPA, which you initiated in 1991?, "she inquired.

She responded to the opposition's claim that the government was legalising cryptocurrency by saying, "I just want to point out that by taxing crypto currencies, we are also taxing the profit generated by transactions. I'm not doing anything to make it legal, prohibit it, or control it." It's a different thing whether it's lawful or illegitimate, but I'll tax because it's our sovereign right, she added.

In response to a question about state aid, she said that for the fiscal year 2022-23, the amount is Rs one lakh crore to help states capitalise overall investments in the economy for 50 years without incurring interest costs.

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