'Ambani spent public money on wedding...': Rahul Gandhi sharpens his attack on Modi govt as battle heats up for Haryana

In a fiery speech at a public rally in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, took a sharp aim at the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of creating a system that disproportionately benefits the ultra-rich at the expense of common citizens. 

Gandhi drew a vivid contrast between the lavish lifestyles of billionaires and the struggles of the average farmer, thereby highlighting how economic disparity is undermining the country’s democratic and constitutional foundations.

Speaking to an energized crowd, Gandhi referred to the extravagant weddings hosted by industrialist Mukesh Ambani, claiming that the crores spent on such events are essentially the public’s money. 

"Have you seen Ambani's wedding? Ambani spent crores on the wedding. Whose money is this? It is your money," Gandhi declared, striking a chord with the audience. He underscored that while the elite can splurge without limits, ordinary citizens, particularly farmers, are forced to take loans and drown in debt just to marry off their children.

Calling such a system as an attack on the very spirit of India's constitution, Gandhi said: "You take bank loans to marry your children but Narendra Modi ji has made such a structure under which the selected 25 people can spend crores on weddings, but a farmer can organise a wedding only by drowning in debt. If this is not an attack on the Constitution, then what is?"

His remarks were a clear critique of what he called a "two-tiered" economic system in India, where a handful of wealthy individuals prosper while millions struggle to make ends meet. Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of orchestrating policies that benefit a select group of about 25 individuals at the top, whom he referred to as "Modi’s selected few," enabling them to flourish while farmers and the working class are left to fend for themselves in increasingly difficult conditions.

In Gandhi's latest avatar, he has politically positioned himself as a warrior for social and economic inequality, raising consistently concerns over rising inequality, farmer distress, and what he describes as the erosion of democratic values under the current administration.

Gandhi’s focus on farmers was particularly resonant in Haryana. In the poll-bound state agricultural livelihoods dominate and the state has been the epicentre of the ongoing agitation by farmers against the Modi administration over their demand for minimum support price. By raising issues of debt and economic inequality, Gandhi is aiming to tap into these existing frustrations.

The Congress leader’s accusations are also part of a broader critique of Modi’s economic policies. He has repeatedly argued that demonetisation, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and other financial reforms have disproportionately hurt small businesses and the middle class while benefiting large corporations. In this speech, Gandhi framed the problem not just as one of economic policy but as a systemic issue that threatens India’s social fabric.

The upcoming election in Haryana is set to see these issues take centre stage, with the incumbent BJP, as per many psephologists, facing a huge 10-year anti-incumbency.