Five Moments From Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha Speech That Left Us Scratching Our Heads

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke on the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

However, his remarks, rather than addressing the specifics of the proposals, often appeared disconnected and lacked coherence.

Here are five puzzling moments from his speech that left many bewildered.

1) Desh Ka Halwa: Displaying an image of the halwa ceremony — a tradition held annually before the budget — Gandhi alleged that no Dalit, Adivasi, or Other Backward Class (OBC) officers are partaking in the "Budget ka halwa".

It was this comment that elicited a facepalm reaction from Finance Minister Sitharaman.

The Congress MP continued, "desh ka halwa bant raha hai and 73 per cent of people are not here. You are eating halwa and the rest of the country is not getting halwa."

Observers pointed out that this was bizarre and did not make sense, as a policy should be judged by its provisions, not by the caste of those who create it.

The budget includes several provisions for tribals and other vulnerable groups. Additionally, the Prime Minister, who is the head of the government, comes from a backward caste group. As a result, many found the argument to be lacking in sense.

2) Opposite Of Chakravyuh Is Shiv Ki Baarat: Claiming that every religion has an answer to chakravyuh, Gandhi said, "In Hinduism, the opposite of chakravyuh is Shiv ki baarat."

He added, "In Shiv ki baarat, any person of any religion can come." This again does not make sense because Shiv ki baarat mentions the presence of bhoot-pret, pishach and others but not people of any religion.

3) Anyone Can Enter Mosques: Speaking on the budget, Gandhi also said that anyone could enter mosques, which is of course not true.

"In Islam, anybody can come into the mosque," he has been quoted as saying.

However, it's a well-known fact that many mosques don't permit even Muslim women to enter, much less "anybody".

4) FM Didn't Speak On NEET: The Congress leader complained that the Finance Minister had not spoken "a single word on paper leak in the budget, which is the most important issue for youth".

This too does not make sense because the budget is a fiscal exercise, while the paper leak is a governance issue that needs to be addressed separately.

5) Middle Class Banged Thalis: Gandhi also appeared to mock the middle class for "banging utensils on the Prime Minister's orders", even as he claimed to represent the grievances of this very section of society.

This comment, however, was bizarre for several reasons, and perhaps even problematic.

Why would the Congress leader mock the middle class while claiming to address their grievances? Citizens wondered if he intended merely to deride this group for supporting the Prime Minister, a claim Rahul Gandhi himself made in his speech.

Moreover, people across the country, from all sections of society, banged utensils in solidarity during the fight against Covid-19. As many have argued before, it was a collective act that brought society together at a time when most were confined to their homes and social interactions were limited.