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Communists in India are total cowards, cannot face facts: FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed communists in India as otal cowards while lashing out at CPI (M) member John Brittas, accusing him of spreading confusion in the country over the charging of fees on UPI payments. In her reply to the discussion on The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman took exception to Brittas walking out of the house without listening to her reply after he made allegations while moving a resolution to disapprove of the Income-Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, promulgated on June 5, 2026. Brittas alleged that the government has decided to charge fees on UPI payments due to pressure from the US, just like it was exerted on Brazil, and was going against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that India's digital payment ecosystem had been developed as a free public good. The CPI (M) member, who was allowed to move his resolution by Deputy Chairman Harivansh after a brief commotion, had walked out wh

10 Aug 2026 6:52 pm