"Only See Pain Of Corporate Giants": FM Nirmala Sitharaman Draws Flak for Remark on EY Employee's Death

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment on the death of Ernst & Young employee Anna Sebastian, who died because of work pressure, has caused netizens’ wrath. The minister, while talking about the issue, said that the pressure can be tackled only by relying on God, stressing that the children need to impart lessons in stress management right from home.

The minister said she saw the news two days ago, saying that the colleges teach the students well and get them jobs through campus recruitment, adding that no matter how big a job you get, students have to be taught “from home how to deal with pressures.”

Read Also: Chennai Techie Who Died By Suicide ‘Was Under Treatment For Depression’ Due To Work Pressure

Following the death of the 26-year-old EY employee, her mother wrote a letter to the company’s India head, holding the firm responsible for her daughter’s untimely death due to work pressure. The mother in her letter alleged that Anna was given an excessive workload, making her physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. Anna started her career at EY four months ago after completing her Chartered Accountancy exams in 2023. The mother also expressed her grudge, noting that no one from the company attended her daughter’s funeral.

However, the Finance Minister remarked, “Belief in God; we need to have God’s grace. Seek God; learn good discipline. Your Atma shakthi will grow only from this. The inner strength will come only with growing Atma shakti,” was viewed by many as a downplaying of the young woman’s suffering due to work pressure. Many on social media slammed the minister for failing to address the real concerns in corporate houses and taking a toll on the workers’ mental health.

Read Also: Chairperson Rajiv Memani On Why EY Missed Anna Sebastian Perayil’s Funeral

Reacting to Sitharaman’s comment, Congress general secretary in charge of communication KC Venugopal slammed the Finance Minister for failing to see the pain of the hardworking and toiling youth generation “where freshmen like Anna are exploited by the greedy corporate system”, adding that she can only see the pain of corporate giants.

“It is downright cruel on the part of the Finance Minister to blame Anna and her family for suggesting that she should have learned stress management at home,” said the Congress leader, adding that the kind of victim blaming is despicable and no words can convey the anger and disgust one feels because of such statements.

“How heartless can this government be? Have they lost all sense of empathy? The parents are still recovering from this terrible tragedy. The toxic work environment should have triggered an honest review of corporate practices and led to necessary reforms that protect employees,” Venugopal wrote in an X post.

The ruling regime and the Finance Minister can only see the pain of corporate giants like Adani and Ambani, not the pain of the hardworking and toiling young generation where freshers like Anna are exploited by the greedy corporate system, if they even succeed in getting a job in… https://t.co/4u7VWRc6lY

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) September 22, 2024

In a video call, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Anna’s parents, assuring them he will fight for the improvement of working conditions for professionals in India.