Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi launched an snatching attack in Parliament against the Union Budget 2024-25 presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23.
Speaking during the ongoing Budget session of Lok Sabha, Gandhi displayed a poster of the traditional 'Halwa ceremony' which was held at the Finance Ministry office in New Delhi a day before the Budget Session.
LoP Rahul Gandhi said that, despite their contribution in the Budget 2024, there was OBC or tribal or a Dalit officer in this photo. Attacking the Union Ministry of Finance, Gandhi said, "Budget ka halwa' is being distributed in this photo. I can't see one OBC or tribal or a Dalit officer in this. Desh ka halwa bant raha hai aur 73% hai hi nahi. 20 officers prepared the Budget of India...Hindustan ka halwa 20 logon ne baatne ka kaam kiya hai..."
He Further state in hindi, "Desh ka halwa baant raha hai aur 73% hai hi nahi. 20 officers prepared the Budget of India... Hindustan ka halwa 20 logon ne baatne ka kaam kiya hai..."
Also Read | Congress to raise UPSC aspirants’ death case in Parliament today.
Gandhi also used the 'chakravyuh' metaphor as a leit motif to say that an atmosphere of fear pervades the country and allege that the budget's sole aim was to strengthen the framework of monopoly capital, political monopoly and the deep state.
"Hindustan's nature is different. There is a formation against 'Chakravyuh' in every religion. In Hinduism, 'Shiv ki Baarat' is the opposite of 'Chakravyuh'. Anyone can join 'Shiv ki Baarat', - anyone from any faith...This fight is between 'Shiv ki Baarat' and 'Chakravyuh'. We break down 'Chakravyuh', through MNREGA, green revolution, independence, constitution...You form 'Chakravyuh'. 'Chakravyuh' can't defeat 'Shiv ki Baarat'. Look at your history. You call yourself Hindu, you don't understand Hinduism. You are people who form 'Chakravyuh', bogus," he said.
Gandhi's reference was to the Mahabharat legend according to which Abhimanyu was killed in a 'chakravyuh' -- a multi-tiered maze and formation -- in which he was trapped. He said the 'chakravyuh' is also called a 'Padmavyūha' which is a multi-tiered formation that looks like a lotus (the BJP symbol).
"Thousands of years ago in Haryana, in Kurukshetra, six people killed a youth, Abhimanyu, in a 'chakravyuh'. A 'chakravyuh' has violence and fear. Abhimanyu was trapped and killed in the 'chakravyuh'," Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress leader said the 'chakravyuh' that has captured India has three forces -- the idea of monopoly capital and concentration of financial power; institutions and agencies such as the CBI, ED and IT department; and the political executive.
"The 'Chakravyuh' that you have built is harming crores of people. We are going to break down this 'Chakravyuh'. the biggest way of doing this, one that scares you, is the Caste Census. Like I said that INDIA Alliance will pass guaranteed legal MSP in this House, similarly, we will pass Caste Census in this House, whether you like it or not," he said further.