Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 11: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asserted that India’s greatest asset lies in its 1.4 billion citizens and emphasised the urgent need to safeguard the country’s vast data resources to remain competitive globally. However, he contended that the Union Budget fails to meaningfully address these critical priorities.
Participating in the debate on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi identified three fundamental pillars for building a strong and self-reliant nation: Artificial Intelligence (AI), food security, and energy security. According to him, the government has not provided a clear roadmap in the Budget to strengthen any of these areas.
Highlighting the importance of data in the age of AI, Gandhi remarked that data serves as the essential fuel for artificial intelligence. “India’s strength is its people. The world is speaking about AI, but AI without data is meaningless. If we do not protect and harness our data, we weaken our own potential,” he said.
He further argued that in an increasingly volatile global environment, safeguarding energy security is vital for maintaining India’s strategic autonomy. Gandhi accused the government of compromising national interests during trade negotiations with the United States and claimed that the Budget does not address the growing global trend of using energy and financial systems as strategic tools.
“Energy and finance are being weaponised across the world, yet the Budget remains silent on how India plans to respond,” he stated.
Gandhi maintained that if the INDIA alliance had been involved in negotiating trade agreements, it would have ensured that India’s interests were prioritised and that the country was treated as an equal partner. He asserted that negotiations should reflect mutual respect and protect India’s long-term economic and strategic interests.
He also underlined the importance of protecting India’s human capital and data sovereignty, arguing that in the 21st century, population should be viewed not as a burden but as a strategic advantage—provided the nation invests adequately in its people.
“In the last century, population was considered a challenge. Today, it is a source of strength—if we choose to empower and protect it,” Gandhi said, calling for policies that place India’s citizens at the centre of economic and technological progress.