Politics1 min read

‘I stand with employees’: Rahul questions Centre's IDBI Bank stake sale to Fairfax

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

In a letter to bank staff, Rahul Gandhi opposed the decision to transfer the state's stake to Fairfax Holdings, evoking the lender's origins under a Congress administration. The government defended the move as a strategic restructuring that secured clearance from a panel of secretaries and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Officials had previously paused the disinvestment earlier this year after initial offers failed to meet the reserve price. To finalize the deal, authorities solicited fresh bids from two contenders and utilized two distinct valuation methods.

Key points

  • Rahul Gandhi backed protesting IDBI Bank employees while opposing the central government'…: Rahul Gandhi backed protesting IDBI Bank employees while opposing the central government's disinvestment process.
  • The Centre justified the sale as a strategic restructuring that followed internal indicat…: The Centre justified the sale as a strategic restructuring that followed internal indicative guidelines rather than rigid frameworks.
  • Disinvestment procedures were designed to provide the flexibility necessary to finish com…: Disinvestment procedures were designed to provide the flexibility necessary to finish complex transactions without wasting valuable resources.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Rahul Gandhi backs IDBI Bank employees amid protests over Centre's stake sale

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday extended support to IDBI Bank employees amid protests by bank unions and political parties against the Centre's decision to sell its stake in the lender.The Congress leader shared a letter addressed to the IDBI Bank family on X, criticising the government's move and contrasting it with the establishment of the bank during the Congress regime."During Congress's time, IDBI was established—to build the nation's industry. During Modi's time, first the bidding was seen, then the price was set," he said.

"During Congress's time, banks were being created. During Modi's time, they are being sold. I stand with the employees of IDBI Bank," Rahul added.The Centre had asserted a day earlier that the sale of its stake in IDBI Bank was part of a "strategic restructuring". It said the process followed the provisions laid down in the request for proposal (RFP) and was undertaken after approval by a panel of secretaries and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

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