Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government on Tuesday for “public sector banks imposing heavy penalties on customers for failing to maintain an average monthly balance.” He described the “penalty system” as part of PM Modi’s “chakravyuh” strategy, aiming to burden and exploit common man.

“In the Amritkaal of Narendra Modi, the ’empty pockets’ of common Indians are also being extracted. The government that waived off ₹16 lakh crore of its industrialists has collected ₹8,500 crore from poor Indians who are unable to maintain even the minimum balance. The ‘penalty system’ is the door of Modi’s Chakravyuh through which an attempt is being made to break the back of the common Indian. But remember, the people of India are not Abhimanyu, they are Arjun, they know how to answer your every atrocity by breaking the Chakravyuh,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.

On Monday, Gandhi used the ‘chakravyuh’ metaphor to suggest that a pervasive atmosphere of fear exists, with a group of six entrapping the entire country in a ‘chakravyuh’ that the INDIA bloc vowed to dismantle.

Here is the context

Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government followed a written response in the Lok Sabha revealing that public sector banks had collected approximately ₹8,500 crore in penalties over five years, starting from FY 2019-20.

On Monday, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary also informed the Lok Sabha that state-run banks imposed ₹2,331 crore in penalties on depositors for failing to maintain the average monthly minimum balance during FY24.

Rahul Gandhi on Union Budget 2024

Rahul Gandhi criticised the central government over the Union Budget, claiming that its primary goal was to reinforce the structure of monopoly.

During the Lok Sabha debate on Budget 2024-25 on Monday, Rahul Gandhi said that the INDIA bloc would ensure the passage of legal guarantees for MSP and a caste census in the House.

He drew a historical parallel, mentioning that thousands of years ago in Kurukshetra, six people killed a youth named Abhimanyu in a ‘chakravyuh,’ adding that a ‘chakravyuh’ is characterised by violence and fear.

Gandhi referred to the Mahabharat legend, where Abhimanyu was killed in a ‘chakravyuh’—a multi-layered military formation designed to trap a warrior, resembling a lotus-shaped labyrinth.

He noted that the ‘chakravyuh’ is also called a ‘padmavyuh’ due to its resemblance to a lotus, which is the BJP’s election symbol.

Gandhi said, “In the 21st century, another ‘chakravyuh’ has been prepared. It is in the form of lotus and the prime minister (Narendra Modi) wears the symbol on his chest. What was done with Abhimanyu is being done with India, with its youth, women, farmers and small and medium businesses.”