Recently, leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote a piece in the Indian Express titled ‘Match-fixing monopoly vs fairplay business — time to choose freedom over fear’. In the article, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s Opposition tried to draw a false equivalence between the colonial East India Company and the current BJP government at the center by claiming that a new breed of monopolists/oligarchic groups now dominates India with the government’s backing.
https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1853998160202387503
He argues in his article that the BJP government under the leadership of Narendra Modi supports selected corporate groups and turns naked eyes to small businesses, leading to increased inequality, stifling competition, and harming small and mid-sized businesses that follow fair practices.
In the article, the opposition leader claimed that government institutions which were once meant to serve the public now cater to these oligarchic groups, creating an environment where many entrepreneurs feel threatened by the risk of unfair investigations upon them if they dare to challenge these powerful entities. Rahul Gandhi urged the BJP government to stop favoring a few and instead foster a level playing field and also asked Indian businesses to resist monopolistic control.
The article was wrong on so many facets that need to be pointed out. The crux of Rahul Gandhi’s article was about the BJP government backing selected corporate groups and neglecting small and mid-sized businesses. So, let’s have a close look at the factual errors the article of Rahul Gandhi published by Indian Express holds.
400 Times increase in startups
Currently, India is a home to around 1.4 lakh (140,000) startups, with 135 recognized as unicorns. Unicorns are the companies that reach a valuation of $1 billion before going public. Notably, back in 2014, under the Congress government, India only had about 350 startups. From 350 to 1.4 Lakh, India saw a 400 times rise in the number of startups.
The Indian government in the past 10 years has introduced several initiatives to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in India, which includes Startup India, Standup India, and the Atal Innovation Mission, offering funding, mentorship, tax incentives, and regulatory support. Also programs like SAMRIDH and Chunauti help startups tackle social challenges, while Digital India Bhashini enhances digital accessibility in regional languages. Additionally, schemes like SIP-EIT, MGS, and CGTMSE provide critical credit facilities for MSMEs and startups across various sectors. Together, these initiatives have catalyzed the growth of India’s startup ecosystem.
Yet, Rahul Gandhi in the article accuses the NDA Government of creating a system of monopoly and turning eyes away from small and mid-sized companies. Also we can look at the statements put forward by the founder of these startups which clearly demonstrate the strong support the NDA government has extended to small and mid-sized companies.
ZOMATO
Deepinder Goyal who is the founder of Zomato, the food delivery company in May this year expressed gratitude towards the central government during an event organized by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Sharing a personal story, Goyal recalled how his father doubted his ability to start Zomato, given their humble background but because of the government’s support and initiatives, he was able to build a successful business. He highlighted that it was due to the favorable conditions provided by the policies of the central government that he could launch Zomato, which now provides employment to thousands across the country.
Zero1dha
While speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024, Nikhil Kamath the Co-Founder & CFO of Zerodha, shared his thoughts on the evolution of entrepreneurship in India over the past decade. Reflecting on the significant changes, he remarked that the last 10 years have been “incredible” for Indian entrepreneurs. He emphasized that entrepreneurship in India has shifted from being a distant aspiration to a pursuit actively undertaken by many. Nikhil Kamath also expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acknowledging his role in creating a stable and supportive environment for young entrepreneurs to thrive in India. “To that one man in the audience here today who, in my opinion, has facilitated the stable ecosystem for people like me…the youth of India…to thrive, I would like to say thank you Modi ji for having created this ecosystem”, he said.
Moglix
Rahul Garg, the Founder and CEO of an Indian e-commerce company highlighted in the ET Entrepreneur Summit that there can be no better time in India for the startups in India. He said “India is in a phenomenal spot in the world today; we are the fastest growing big nation. There has been a bold vision that has been set out for 2047. There can’t be a better time for startups in India than this”
Moreover the remarks of Rahul Gandhi regarding Indian Maharajas in his article triggered a major backlash. Rahul in his article pointed fingers against India’s royal families and argued that the East India Company was able to suppress India through alliances with pliant maharajas and nawabs, casting them as complicit in India’s colonization. “India was silenced by the East India Company. It was silenced not by its business prowess, but by its chokehold. The Company choked India by partnering with, bribing, and threatening our more pliant maharajas and nawabs”, he wrote.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister and a member of the Scindia royal family accused Rahul Gandhi of having a colonial mindset. He took to twitter to lash out at him. He tweeted “Those who sell hatred have no right to lecture on Indian pride and history. Rahul Gandhi’s ignorance about Bharat’s rich heritage and his colonial mindset have crossed all limits. If you claim to ‘uplift’ the nation, stop insulting Bharat Mata and learn about true Indian heroes like Mahadji Scindia, Yuvraj Bir Tikendrajit, Kittur Chennamma, and Rani Velu Nachiyar, who fiercely fought for our freedom.
“Your selective amnesia about your own privilege is a disservice to those truly striving against adversity. Your dissonance only exposes Congress’ agenda further—Rahul Gandhi is no champion of Atmanirbhar Bharat; he is merely a product of an outdated entitlement. India’s legacy doesn’t begin or end with the title ‘Gandhi’. Only under PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s leadership are the stories of our real warriors finally celebrated. Respect Bharat’s history, or don’t pretend to speak for her!”, he further added.
https://x.com/JM_Scindia/status/1854195972630315317
BJP leader and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Divya Kumari too came up to hit out at Rahul Gandhi. She criticized him for disrespecting the legacy of India’s royal families. Divya Kumari emphasized their significant sacrifices for India’s integration, calling Gandhi’s remarks “baseless” and rooted in a “half-baked” understanding of history.
She wrote “I strongly condemn Mr RahulGandhi’s attempt to malign the erstwhile royal families of India in an editorial today. The dream of integrated India was only possible because of the utmost sacrifice of the erstwhile royal families of India. Baseless allegations made on the basis of half-baked interpretation of historical facts is completely unacceptable.”
https://x.com/KumariDiya/status/1854180823261397043
Lok Sabha MP Yaduveer Wadiyar echoed these sentiments, slamming Gandhi for his “ignorance” and “disrespect” toward the contributions of India’s royal families, which were essential to preserving Indian heritage. Wadiyar urged Rahul to learn about the sacrifices made by these families before undermining their role in India’s independence.
Not only does the article cater to factual mistakes and disrespect for Indian Kings but it is also being accused that the Indian Express article of Rahul Gandhi is plagiarized!!! Netizens are slamming the opposition leader for plagiarism and for using AI to write the article.
A twitter Padmaja (username- @prettypadmaja) wrote quoting the article “This is Plagiarism, just read two lines and realized this article is a smartly copied view of Chapter 13-Edmond Burke on India -published online by Cambridge University Press on 05 December 2012 and later improved by one of the Al platforms. There is no need to read further. From Farmer to Meson to Potter to Driver to now AUTHOR ????????”.
Another twitter user wrote “Whoever has Ghost written this knows how to use ChatGPT very well !!!! INCIndia folks can’t even write an authentic article. Shameful indeed”
After the coming of the saffron government at the center, startups have got a major boost. India has got many successful stories to tell the world. Well, the heavy claims made in Rahul’s article accusing government of prioritizing oligarchic groups over small and mid-sized businesses sadly hold no mole of truth and a High school guy with a ₹19 internet pack of Jio can crumble down the spurious claims, Oops, sorry let’s not bring jio into the picture proving the youth leader right!!! Any internet pack will serve the purpose though.
