'Middle-Class Banged Utensils When Modi Asked Them But Budget Stabbed Them': Highlights From Rahul Gandhi's Speech

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by linking the concept of chakravyuh in Mahabharata to the ruling party's election symbol lotus.

Asserting that chakravyuh's other name is padmavyuh, meaning lotus, Gandhi said, "What was done to Abhimanyu, the same is being done to the farmers, small businesses and everyone."

Here are key highlights of his speech:

1. Control: The Congress MP said that the chakravyuh is being controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

2. Forces: Gandhi added that the chakravyuh that has captured India has three forces behind it, first is the idea of monopoly capital, second is institutitions and agencies like ED, CBI and IT Department and third is political executive.

3. Businesses: The Rae Bareli MP alleged that small and medium businesses were attacked through demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and tax terrorism and nothing has been done in budget to deal with it.

4. Employment: Gandhi attacked the government's internship program for offering opportunities in only the top 500 companies of the country, which will not be enough '99.5 per cent of youth'.

5. Paper leak: The Congress leader alleged that paper leak happened 70 times in 10 years and targeted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for not speaking 'even a single word' on paper leak in the Budget.

Reiterating the demand for the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), he alleged that nothing is done for it in the budget and promised farmers to pass this bill in Parliament.

7. Middle class: Gandhi said that the middle class supported PM Modi wholeheartedly. They banged the utensils when they are asked to do so during Covid pandemic and lit torches but the favour was not returned.

"The budget stabbed the middle class in the back and in the chest. Indexation cancelation was the stab in the back and raising capital gains tax was a stab in the front," the Congress MP said.

8. A1 and A2: Calling Adani and Ambani "A1 and A2", Gandhi said that their business is expanding in every sector from ports to railways, giving them a monopoly over the country's wealth.

9. Excluded groups: Gandhi alleged that 73 per cent of India's population comprises Dalits, Adivasis and Backward Class people but they do not find their place in businesses, corporates and governments.

Showing an image of the Halwa ceremony before the Budget, the Congress leader alleged that no Dalits and Adivasi officers are eating Halwa as of the 20 officers that prepared the Budget, only one is a Minority and one is an OBC.

10. Caste census: The Congress MP said that 95 per cent people want caste census because it has the power to change the country but the government is not ready for it. He promised to do caste census to break chakravyuh.

11. Shiv Ki Baarat: Asserting that everyone is allowed in Lord Shiv's Baarat (marriage provession), Gandhi said that their chakravyuh has only six people and the fight is between chakravyuh and Shiv Ki Baarat.