Nirmala Sitharaman Responds On Twitter To Criticism By Biocon Head Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw On E-Cigarette Ban And Economy

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday defended her decision to ban e-cigarettes after Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw questioned her authority to issue the ban.

In a tweet, Shaw wondered why the decision on e-cigarette ban came from her and not Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.

"E-cigarettes banned, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman - Shd this not come from Min of Health? How about banning gutka too? How about MoF announcing some fiscal measures to revive economy?" tweeted Shaw.

Reacting sharply to her, Sitharaman posted a series of tweets, defending her decision.

"Kiranji, a few things. This press conference was dedicated to Cabinet decisions. I began by saying that I was there in my capacity as Chair of the GoM which has dealt with the matter. @drharshvardhan is out of country for an international meet," the finance minister posted.

She added: "Cabinet Minister/s join @PrakashJavdekar, the I&B Minister, when required. Health Secretary was also with me, explaining details. These are protocols, as you know, which govt press conferences follow."

Sitharaman claimed that the e-cigarette decision was taken with the health of the youth in mind.

She also highlighted the fact that she had been working and speaking about steps regarding the economy. Shaw seemed to be satisfied with the explanation given by the finance minister.

“I now understand n I stand corrected. Tks for explaining my confusion. Really grateful for your response,” she wrote.

(With inputs from IANS)