Rahul Gandhi Slams Union Budget 2026-27 Over Global Instability and Data Strategy
Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, delivered a scathing critique of the Union Budget 2026-27 on Wednesday, accusing the government of neglecting critical issues such as global instability, economic weaponization, and the strategic importance of Indian data in the context of an emerging US-China rivalry. Speaking during the Budget discussion, Gandhi warned that India is entering a more volatile global order and asserted that the nation's greatest strategic asset lies in its 1.4 billion people and the data they generate.
Key Quotes from Rahul Gandhi's Speech on Data and Global Power Dynamics
In his address, Gandhi emphasized the centrality of India's population and data in global negotiations. He stated, "When you move into a dangerous world, what is the first thing you have to understand? I'd like to tell the house our strengths—the central strength is our 1.4 billion people, brilliant, energetic, dynamic, who can challenge anybody in the world." He further elaborated on the analogy of data as fuel for artificial intelligence, saying, "Talking about AI is like talking about the internal combustion engine without petrol; petrol for AI is data."
Gandhi highlighted the leverage Indian data provides in international relations, remarking, "Indian data is key to keeping the United States a superpower. If Americans want to remain a superpower, protect their dollar, then the key to that is Indian data." He criticized the government's approach, asking, "Are you not ashamed of selling India?" and proposed that if the INDIA bloc were negotiating with President Trump, they would assert, "The most important thing in this equation is Indian data. We would tell President Trump, if you want access to Indian data, you will have to talk to us as an equal."
Analysis of Global Instability and Economic Weaponization
Citing the Economic Survey, Gandhi pointed out that the world is entering an era of intensifying geopolitical conflict and instability. He noted, "I was looking at the economic survey and two points I found there, solid points, profound points that I liked. First point, that we are living in a world of intensifying geopolitical conflict... The dominance of the United States is being challenged by the Chinese, by the Russians, by other forces. The second thing is that we are living in a world of energy and financial weaponization."
He contradicted previous statements by the Prime Minister and National Security Advisor, arguing, "Prime Minister stated, and NSA stated, shockingly, some time back, that the era of war is over. In fact, we are moving into the era of war. You can see 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 operations in Sindoor. So we are moving into a world of instability." Gandhi added that the global power shift is evident as "the dollar is being challenged, US supremacy is being challenged. We are moving from a world of one superpower to some new world that really we can't predict."
India's Data Pool as a Strategic Lever in Global Negotiations
Rahul Gandhi argued that India's massive data pool, generated by its 1.4 billion people, provides significant leverage in global negotiations. He explained, "People create data. We have the biggest data pool on the planet. 1.4 billion people means a massive amount of data is being generated in India. Everybody talks about AI, but talking AI is like talking about the internal combustion engine without petrol. The petrol for AI is data... meaning if you have AI and you don't have data, you have nothing. Which are the two biggest pools of data on the planet? The Indian pool of data and Chinese pool of data."
Using a martial arts analogy, he described hidden political maneuvers, saying, "In martial arts, the sequence is grip, choke, and tap. This grip also exists in politics. But, in politics, the grip, choke, and tap remain hidden." He criticized the Budget for recognizing energy and finance weaponization but failing to address it adequately, stating, "Budget recognises energy and finance are being weaponised but nothing in budget that looks into this."
Calls for Safeguards and Warnings on Artificial Intelligence
Gandhi called for robust safeguards to protect national interests, emphasizing, "We need to protect our people, data, food supply, and energy system." He also cautioned about the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence, warning, "I would warn govt AI is going to have many consequences; companies at the forefront of information technology will struggle."
Reiterating his concerns, Gandhi concluded that India is entering a period of heightened uncertainty, asserting, "We are moving from a world of stability to a world of instability." His remarks occurred amid sharp exchanges between the Opposition and treasury benches during the ongoing Budget Session, highlighting the contentious nature of the discussions.
