Nirmala Sitharaman's 'relying on God' comment over EY employee death sparks Reddit backlash

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman¡¯s recent remarks about handling work stress, following the death of Ernst & Young employee Anna Sebastian, have triggered a wave of criticism on Reddit.

The finance minister reportedly suggested that stress should be managed by relying on God, sparking online outrage. The comments were made during an event at a private college in Chennai on Sunday, where Sitharaman emphasized the role of spirituality in dealing with stress.

However, many social media users, particularly on Reddit, found her remarks out of touch with the reality of work-life balance in today¡¯s high-pressure environments.

Social media outcry over God suggestion

Sitharaman¡¯s statement came in response to the tragic death of Anna Sebastian, a chartered accountant at Ernst & Young, who allegedly died due to overwhelming work stress. Her suggestion that stress could be managed through spiritual discipline was met with severe backlash on the popular subreddit r/india.

One user sarcastically commented, "You'll have to pay 6.9 percent extra atheist tax," while another expressed frustration, saying, ¡°Better work conditions? Nope. Better labour laws and protection? Nope. Support in case of unemployment? Nope. Believe in God? Yes, that solves everything."

'Pressures can be tackled only by relying on God'; Nirmala Sitharaman with bizarre comment regarding death of EY employee Anna Sebastian
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The finance minister had stated, ¡°The inner strength will come only with growing Atma shakti¡­Educational institutions should bring in divinity and spirituality. Then only will our children get the inner strength. It will help in their progress and the country. That is my strong belief.¡± However, this only fueled further criticism online.

Calls for better labour laws

Many Reddit users voiced concerns that the minister's comments ignored the need for more practical solutions, such as improved work conditions and labour laws.

¡°It will be more surprising if something sane came out of her mouth at this point, to be honest,¡± one user remarked. Several others urged citizens to reconsider their voting choices in the future.

Also Read: EY employee death: Netizens say 8hr double jobs is moonlighting, but 16hrs for one firm is 'Indian culture'

¡°Please think before you vote again!! Please share this with your parents," urged a commenter, while another summed up the general sentiment with, ¡°This flippant comment proves once again that no one cares for the common man in India.¡±

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