IN A no-holds-barred attack, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a fierce critique of the Modi Government over the Union Budget 2026-27, alleging that the Prime Minister “compromised” India’s energy security interests and sold out Bharat Mata to foreign powers, prompting loud protests from the treasury benches. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objected to his “wild” references and asked him to engage in constructive criticism. Remaining unfazed, Gandhi doubled down his pitch and accused the Centre of “shamelessly” striking a trade deal with the United States while “surrendering” its own interests. Gandhi said he does not believe that any Indian prime minister, including Narendra Modi, would agree to such a deal unless there is a “chokehold” on him. “Why has he (Modi) sold India -- because they (the US) are choking him. They have a grip on his neck,” said Gandhi, who began his address with an analogy of how in martial arts after securing a grip, the next step is a chokehold, and then the opponent taps to give up. His “nonsense” jibe at the Government triggered fierce Opposition from the ruling side and also an interjection from Jadambika Pal, the officiating Speaker in the House.

 

Rijiju objected to Rahul’s description of the trade deal as a “nonsense” move and demanded that unparliamentary language be expunged from the House proceedings. The Chair also took note of Gandhi’s objectionable reference and asked him to refrain from the same. The Congress MP, while acknowledging the same, went on to lambast the Government, listing “a series of surrenders” to US President Donald Trump in sectors like Agriculture, IT, data and people. The House witnessed chaos and sloganeering as Gandhi’s “surrender charge” was vehemently backed by Opposition members, while those in the treasury bench kept booing the LoP. Gandhi, while concluding his speech, said this Government has “sold out the nation, its farmers, its IT sector, its energy security and stood in complete capitulation before the US”.

 

Rijiju was quick to return fire, stating, “Koi maai ka laal paida hua nahin, jo desh ko bech sakta hai, (No such person has taken a birth who can dare to sell the nation).” “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most powerful person that the country has seen till date,” he added. Gandhi also targeted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the India-US trade agreement and the reported tax concessions extended to foreign cloud service providers, claiming that the arrangement is detrimental to India’s economic and strategic interests. While taking a swipe at the Finance Minister, Gandhi remarked, “The Finance Minister is smiling, she likes to smile, she likes to smile a lot. Twenty-year free tax holiday to the big tax companies; this is what you did with our data?” The Congress leader noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSA Ajit Doval had stated some time back that the era of war is over. “In fact, we are moving into the era of war. War is there in Ukraine, war was there in Gaza, war is there in the Middle East, threat of war is there in Iran, we had Operation Sindoor.”

 

 

Pal, Rahul banter in LS: IN LIGHT-hearted banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he would not be very aggressive in his address in the Lok Sabha as former party colleague Jagdambika Pal was in the presiding officer’s chair, with Pal saying that had the Congress leader heeded his advice in the past, he would not be sitting on opposition benches. Participating in a debate on the Union Budget, Gandhi raised certain issues and took some names to which Pal, who was in the chair, objected. Congress sold country, not Modi: Sitharaman: Nirmala Sitharaman launched a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi, saying that it was the UPA Government which surrendered India’s interest before international organisations including the World Trade Organisation and “sold” the interest of poor and farmers.

 

She said it was the Congress which not only sold the interest of the poor and farmer of this country but the country itself. Sitharaman also referred to the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Statement, accusing the previous regime of diluting India’s position on sovereignty and security in its engagement with Pakistan. Stressing that those who want to negotiate with Pakistan at Sharm-al-Sheikh are now giving us suggestions on negotiations, Sitharaman said, “it is the Congress which sold the Government, farmers, the poor and the nation. It was you who hyphenated India with Pakistan.” “Kiren Rijiju said it rightly not a single person has been born till date who can sell India. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi will never do such a thing,” she added.