Finance ministry shut, says Rahul in mock note to FM from PM

New Delhi: Latching on to a news report about the absence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley and Secretary Hasmukh Adhia from the Finance Ministry at the same time, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today took a dig at the government with a mock letter to the minister by the prime minister.

Gandhi’s note on Twitter — addressed to the “FM” and signed off by the “Prime Minister” — said it had been decided that the ministry would be shut till further notice.

According to the news report which Gandhi posted along with his tweet, Jaitley has not attended office for a month because of a kidney ailment. The report claimed Adhia has taken leave till May 20 to do yoga and meditation with Swami Visharadanand Saraswathy in Mysuru.

The absence of the two effectively left the ministry headless, the report added. Dear FM, as you are indisposed and Finance Secretary is on vacation with his Guru on a quest for inner peace, I have decided to shut the Finance Ministry till further notice,” Gandhi’s tweet said.

The PMO will take all financial policy decisions as before. Prime Minister,” he wrote. Expenditure secretary A N Jha is expected to officiate in Adhia’s absence, the report said.