In a sharp critique of the Modi administration, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, condemned the substantial penalties imposed by public sector banks on customers for not maintaining an average monthly balance. His remarks followed revelations that these banks had collected approximately Rs 8,500 crore in penalties over the past five years.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Gandhi denounced the “penalty system” as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s metaphorical “chakravyuh” — a strategic trap aimed at financially burdening ordinary Indians. He highlighted that while the government had forgiven Rs 16 lakh crore of debt for industrialists, it has extracted Rs 8,500 crore from the pockets of everyday citizens unable to maintain a minimum balance.
Gandhi drew an analogy with the ancient Mahabharat battle formation, asserting that the current political climate mirrors the oppressive ‘chakravyuh’ strategy designed to entrap and exploit the common people. He vowed that the opposition alliance, INDIA, would counter these measures and advocate for a legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP) and a caste census.
Emphasizing his point, Gandhi likened the government’s actions to the fate of Abhimanyu in the Mahabharat, asserting that India’s current situation under Modi’s leadership is akin to being trapped in a modern-day ‘chakravyuh,’ symbolized by the BJP’s lotus emblem.
