Nirmala Sitharaman’s facepalm moment in Lok Sabha is all over the internet. It happened when Rahul Gandhi mentioned the traditional pre-Budget ‘Halwa’ ceremony and the lack of diversity in the exercise – an absence of Dalits, Other Backward Classes, Adivasis in its preparation.

The BJP hit back at the Leader of Opposition over his criticism of the government’s alleged neglect of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC, claiming the Congress’ history is “replete with instances of obstructing reservation” for these communities. It also accused the Congress of being “anti-Hindu”.

Mr Gandhi, displaying a picture of the ‘Halwa’ ceremony, said 20 officers worked on preparing the country’s budget and of them, only one was from a minority community and one from the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

“20 officers have prepared the budget of India, in which there is only one minority and one OBC. The budget halwa is being distributed, but 73% of the country’s people are not included in it,” said Mr Gandhi.

At this point, the Finance Minister placed her hands over her face. A disapproving nod followed.

The reaction was not lost on the Congress leader.

“The Finance Minister is laughing. It is quite astonishing. This is not a laughing matter, madam. This is about caste census. It will change the country,” said Mr Gandhi.

Mr Gandhi claimed the sole aim of the Budget is to strengthen the framework of big businesses, political monopoly that destroys the democratic structure, and the deep state or the agencies.

Pushing back, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh posted on X pictures of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s board members which included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, and asked which of them belong to OBC, SC and ST categories.

“Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Board for your perusal. Identify OBCs, SCs and STs for the use of the Congress and its troll army,” he wrote on X along with a screenshot of the foundation’s website showing its board members.

BJP IT department head Amit Malviya alleged the Congress has been “anti-SC/ST and OBC” since Independence.

“It was the Congress which kept (the) Kelkar Committee recommendation (for Backward Commission) made in 1957 in cold storage until PM Modi gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission in 2018, that too despite Congress’ opposition,” said Mr Malviya.

Rahul Gandhi drew parallels from the Mahabharata, and attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Budget saying that there’s an atmosphere of fear in the country, adding that the country is now trapped in a “Chakravyuh of lotus,” referring to the BJP’s symbol.

Manika Batra achieved a historic feat on Monday by advancing to the round of 16 in the Olympic Games singles competition, a first for an Indian table tennis player.

Bollywood’s newest action hero Lakshya, known for his smouldering performance in Kill, is all set to make his mark at the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Held in Australia from August 15, the festival will see Lakshya join a galaxy of stars, including Telugu superstar Ram Charan, maestro AR Rahman, and renowned filmmakers like Karan Johar, Rajkumar Hirani, and Imtiaz Ali.

Hot off the headlines for his electrifying performance in Kill, Lakshya has quickly become a fan favourite. His dynamic presence and powerful acting have earned him an invitation to this prestigious event. At the IFFM, Lakshya will not only be attending but also presenting an award, highlighting his rising prominence in the industry.