'Focus is Development, Hijacked Headlines A Concern': Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Hindutva Controversies

"I am worried about headlines being hijacked," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told NDTV when asked about Hindutva controversies, adding, "Our mandate was for development". In an exclusive interview, Mr Jaitley clarified on taking the ordinance route for key reforms, saying they were brought in due to urgency, not because the government wanted to bypass Parliament. He blamed the Opposition for deliberately stalling the Rajya Sabha to ensure legislations don't clear the Upper House. "The Opposition's intention was a convergence to stall the House, not conversions," he said. On investigations into Robert Vadra's land deals, Mr Jailtey said, "The process for income tax notices against Mr Vadra started before I took office."