STELLAR ASSAULT: Trinamul Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday rained a volley of blows on the Narendra Modi regime, subjecting it to several deer-in-the-headlights moments, mocking it as a “creaky, shaky” coalition government “breathing on borrowed time”.

The belligerent assault from the TMC national general secretary prompted uproarious cheers from the Opposition.

This was the first such show of bellicosity in recent memory from the 36-year-old Diamond Harbour MP — in the Lok Sabha since 2014 — otherwise known for his calm and reticent demeanour in the Delhi corridors of power.

“… it is a budget without any clarity or vision, which has been rolled out to satisfy the coalition partners of the BJP…. It is an anti-people budget crafted to bribe two political parties and bide time before the government implodes,” said Abhishek.

A screenshot of the video that shows Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla conducting the proceedings of the House on Wednesday. (PTI picture)

“What we now have in place is a creaky, shaky coalition…. It is so uncertain that it can collapse anytime,” added the young MP, widely referred to as “AB” in Trinamool.

Hours later, the headline on the front page of TMC mouthpiece Jago Bangla’s evening edition screamed: “AB-r bhashoney bagheyr gorjon (Roar of the tiger in AB’s speech).”

Mamata Banerjee’s nephew led the Trinamool attack on the third Modi government’s first budget for protecting the interests of only two states (Bihar and Andhra Pradesh), leaving all other citizens in the lurch.

His speech was interrupted repeatedly by Speaker Om Birla and many on the Treasury benches, which led to altercations Abhishek didn’t back down from. Abhishek mounted a four-pronged offensive: over the budgetary provisions and the state of the economy; the deprivation of Bengal; the allegedly flawed policies of Modi; and the vulnerability of the Centre in his third term.

Abhishek turned the appeasement tables on the BJP, over its go-to label for political opponents: tushtikaran (appeasement).

“It is ironic that the BJP, which decried ‘appeasement politics’ in the last 10 years is now ensnared in its tentacles trying to save its own chair…. The message from the electorate is loud and clear: Waqt badal gaya hai (The times have changed),” he said, rubbing salt into Team Modi’s smarting wounds, as it is forced to depend on allies perceived as unreliable, who allegedly seek to be appeased by pelf to keep the NDA past the majority mark in his third term.

Since the budget speech was read out, the BJP-led Centre has been accused of trying to please none other than Bihar’s JDU (12 Lok Sabha members) and Andhra Pradesh’s TDP (16 Lok Sabha members).

Abhishek locked horns even with Speaker Birla, as they got into an altercation over references to things that took place in the first or second terms of the Modi regime. For instance, when Abhishek brought up a contentious 2016 decision, Birla told him not to bring up something that had happened eight years ago and stick to the 2024 budget. To this, the Diamond Harbour MP asked: “When somebody speaks on topics relevant 60 years ago or on Nehru, then you don’t
say anything.”

“But when I speak of an issue that happened five years ago, you are asking me to speak on current issues. This bias should not be there…. talking about the Emergency, 50 years ago. At that time, you were silent. But now, when I talk of… that is bothering you,” added Abhishek.

Birla warned members against challenging the Chair in their speeches.

Hours later, Birla expunged chunks of Abhishek’s speech.

Abhishek also dared Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release a white paper detailing the funds allocated to Bengal since the BJP’s defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections.

He jeered at the BJP for the abject failure of hardline Hindutva in the election, ridiculing Modi over the poor show despite spearheading the campaign.

“The election results are a direct audit of the performance of the Prime Minister,” said Abhishek.

“What is the result of the audit? The BJP lost heavily in Bengal, was stunned in Uttar Pradesh, shaken up in Maharashtra. Their slogan ‘Jo Ram ko laye hain hum unko layenge (We will bring to power the one who brought Ram)’ backfired,” he added. “I would rather say ‘Prabhu Ram aaye toh nyay aya. Kuchh waqt laga par insaaf aya (Justice arrived because Lord Ram arrived. It took a while but justice was delivered)’.”

Pulling no punches, Abhishek accused the Centre of investing through the budget in Modi’s political survival, at the expense of the nation’s well-being.

“Truth is, Modiji is on borrowed time. You all (the Treasury benches) are on borrowed time. Mark my words,” he said.

“Kursi ki peti bandh lijiye, Modiji. Mausam bigadney wala hai (Fasten your seatbelt, Modiji. Turbulence ahead),” added the Trinamool national general secretary.