The war of words erupted amid an escalating boardroom dispute within the Tata Group, with Gandhi accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of treating Indian businesses as their “plaything”.
In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition alleged that business leaders were staying silent while the conglomerate faced turmoil.
“Tata is being criminally destroyed, and no business leader dares say a word. How long will you stay silent? Until they own you?” Gandhi wrote, adding that his party would ensure justice for what he described as crimes.
‘Stop politicising every issue’: Sitharaman’s counterattack
Responding to Gandhi's post, Sitharaman accused him of spreading distrust and toxicity by portraying a commercial and legal dispute as a criminal matter.
“I suggest you refrain from politicising every issue. Also, casually labelling commercial and legal matters as criminal is unacceptable,” she wrote on X.
Being the LoP @RahulGandhi, I suggest you refrain from politicising every issue. Also, casually labelling commercial and legal matters as criminal is unacceptable. You have repeatedly decried the successes of Indian industry & our entrepreneurs. Now, are you trying to incite our business leaders to join you in spreading distrust & toxicity? For decades, your party had smothered the spirit of the Indian entrepreneurs under the stifling ‘Licence-Quota Raj’ & inflicted poverty on crores of Indians. On the other hand, our government led by PM @narendramodi values the Indian industry as job creators & drivers of economic growth. Our policies have been tailored to enable enterprise, support industry and encourage investment. Political parties, leaders, governments and institutions share an equal responsibility to support our industry, strengthen our farmers and secure the future of our youth. Therefore, it is essential to engage constructively rather than casting baseless aspersions to suit your narrow political motives. The Constitution of India ensures justice to all its citizens & our Honourable Courts are entrusted with upholding it. History is witness to the shoddy manner in which you, your party and the PMs belonging to your party have demeaned the judiciary. So Rahul ji, refrain from seeing ghosts everywhere.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) October 28, 2026
The Finance Minister questioned whether Gandhi was attempting to encourage business leaders to join him in undermining confidence in Indian industry. She also accused the Congress of repeatedly criticising the achievements of Indian entrepreneurs.
‘Licence-quota raj’: FM targets Congress’s economic legacy
Sitharaman invoked the Congress's economic legacy, alleging that decades of “Licence-Quota Raj” under previous governments had stifled entrepreneurship and contributed to widespread poverty.
In contrast, she said, the Narendra Modi government viewed Indian businesses as job creators and drivers of economic growth.
She maintained that the government's policies were designed to support enterprises, strengthen industry and encourage investment, adding that political parties and institutions had a shared responsibility to protect India's economic future.
Sitharaman questions Rahul Gandhi’s record on judiciary
The Finance Minister also took aim at Gandhi's promise to ensure justice in the Tata dispute, arguing that the Constitution and the courts were responsible for upholding citizens' rights.
She accused Gandhi, his party and previous Congress-led governments of undermining the judiciary.
“History is witness to the shoddy manner in which you, your party and the PMs belonging to your party have demeaned the judiciary. So Rahul ji, refrain from seeing ghosts everywhere,” Sitharaman said.
What is the Tata Sons boardroom battle about?
The political exchange comes amid a dispute over the reappointment of N Chandrasekaran as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, whose businesses span sectors ranging from salt and steel to software and automobiles.
On Monday, Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata challenged a September 17 board resolution proposing Chandrasekaran's reappointment for another five-year term.
According to a PTI report citing sources, Noel Tata argued that the resolution was void because the decision had been taken out of turn and the reappointment was not included on the meeting's agenda.
He reportedly communicated his objections to Tata Sons company secretary Suprakash Mukhopadhyay.
At the board meeting, Tata Trusts vice-chairman Venu Srinivasan and three other directors supported Chandrasekaran's reappointment, while Noel Tata opposed it.
The presiding chairman's casting vote was subsequently used, intensifying the differences within the board.
The dispute has brought internal differences over the leadership of one of India's most prominent business conglomerates into the public domain, prompting Gandhi to target the government and triggering Sitharaman's forceful response.