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Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, launched a scathing attack on the Union Budget 2023, comparing it to the 'Chakravyuh' of the Mahabharata war. In a passionate speech, he argued that the budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was designed to entrap various sections of the population, including farmers, youth, the middle class, and Agniveers, all while benefiting big businesses and a select few. He accused the government of neglecting the needs of the majority of the population, particularly Dalits, Adivasis, and Backward Classes, as evidenced by the absence of representation from these communities in the photo taken during the halwa ceremony that precedes the Budget printing.
Gandhi's criticism centered around the perceived lack of economic and social justice in the Budget. He demanded a caste census, arguing that the current system of governance fails to adequately address the needs and concerns of the majority of the population. He also reiterated the INDIA bloc's commitment to guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, arguing that the government's inaction on this issue had trapped farmers in a cycle of poverty and uncertainty. He pointed to the government's resistance to the farmers' protests as evidence of their disregard for the concerns of the agricultural sector.
The 'Chakravyuh' metaphor served as a central theme throughout Gandhi's speech. He accused the government of employing a multi-layered strategy to consolidate power and privilege in the hands of a select few. He identified three key forces driving this 'Chakravyuh': the concentration of wealth in the hands of big businesses, the manipulation of institutions like the CBI, ED, and IT Department, and the political executive's use of these institutions to stifle dissent and suppress opposition. He argued that these forces were working together to create a system that favored a select few at the expense of the majority.
Gandhi's speech elicited strong reactions from the ruling BJP. The BJP accused Gandhi of misleading the public about the Agniveer scheme and engaging in disruptive behavior in the Lok Sabha. While Gandhi refuted these claims, the debate highlighted the deep political divisions surrounding the Budget and the INDIA bloc's strategy to capitalize on public discontent. The upcoming months will likely witness a heated debate on these issues, as both the ruling BJP and the opposition INDIA bloc seek to leverage the public discourse to their advantage in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.
Source: Budget like Chakravyuh, INDIA will break it with caste census, MSP guarantee: Rahul Gandhi