‘6 people at the center’: Why Rahul Gandhi cited Mahabharata’s ‘Chakravyuha’ to attack BJP in Lok Sabha – The Times of India

In a recent Lok Sabha session, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, launched a sharp critique against the ruling BJP-led Central government. He accused the government of constructing a “Chakravyuh” (an intricate battle formation referenced in Mahabharat) around youth, farmers, women, and small businesses of India. He named six key figures at the center of this “Lotus formation,” drawing a parallel to BJP’s party symbol: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, industrialist Mukesh Ambani, and Gautam Adani. 

Gandhi likened the situation to the Mahabharat episode where Abhimanyu, a young warrior, was trapped and killed in a Chakravyuh. He suggested that in contemporary times, the six individuals control this formation, which he claims stifles various sections of Indian society. 

He elaborated on three main forces he believes sustain this “Chakravyuh”: 

1. Monopoly capital, concentrating wealth in the hands of a few. 

2. Institutions and agencies like CBI, ED, and IT. 

3. Political executives, which he argues, together devastate the country. 

Criticizing the recent Union Budget, Gandhi argued that it aimed to strengthen monopolistic frameworks rather than support small businesses, farmers, and youth. He accused the government of harming se groups through policies like demonetization, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and aggressive tax enforcement. 

Furthermore, Gandhi pledged that the INDIA bloc would pass legislation to guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, something he claimed the current government had failed to do. He criticized the government for betraying the middle class, who had previously supported Prime Minister Modi, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.