Shashi Tharoor’s Witty Tax Rhyme Targets Modi Govt As FM Nirmala Sitharaman Watches – VIDEO
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the Modi government's extensive taxation policies in the Lok Sabha, reciting a rhyme highlighting the tax burden on citizens.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday took a poetic swipe at the Modi government’s taxation policies in the Lok Sabha in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting a rhyme that highlighted the extensive tax burden on citizens.
“Tax our petrol, tax our shirt,
Tax our footwear, tax our dirt,
Tax our mobile, tax our calls,
Tax our hovels’ crumbling walls,
Tax our salary, tax our ride,
Tax our mithai on the side,
Tax our sorrow, tax our cheer,
Tax our future year by year,” he recited, underscoring his concerns.
Continuing his poetic critique, Tharoor questioned the utilisation of tax revenue, saying:
“GST, income tax forms pile high,
ceases, surcharges make us sigh,
roads with potholes, trains that derail,
where does it go, is it all a fail?
When we say is this all in vain?
You smile and say it’s in the nation’s gain.
If we ask you to try and fix it, you point and say we will make you Viksit (developed).
Yet still, we pay with a patriotic heart, hoping our cash will play a small part
in building a future bright and fair
for the nation we love beyond compare.”
My little homage in light verse today to our tax regime: “When we ask you to fix it/ you point and say, You will be Viksit!”#FinanceBill2025 pic.twitter.com/5E7nw2BiB9
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 24, 2025
While initiating the debate on the Finance Bill in Lok Sabha, he also posed a pointed question to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, asking, “Why is it that only 2% of Indians are paying income tax? The reasons are endless—unemployment, income inequality, poverty, inflation—but can the government continue to run itself on the backs of just 2% of our people?”
Highlighting economic disparities, Tharoor stated, “While the economy is crawling forward at a snail’s pace, income distribution is as lopsided as ever. The top 1%—their share has more than doubled from 10% in 1991 to 23% in 2023. The top 10% went from 35% to 59%, and the bottom 50% of our population—their share of national income has shrunk from 20% to 13%. Clearly, prosperity and growth aren’t slow for everyone, just for the bottom half of our population—but they are the ones who need progress the most.”
Shashi Tharoor’s Coldplay-Inspired Dig At Union Budget 2025
Tharoor had previously taken a similar dig at the Union Budget 2025 presented by Sitharaman in February, using Coldplay-inspired metaphors. Sharing a reel on Instagram, he had remarked, “Coldplay says ‘Fix You,’ but the Finance Minister says ‘Tax You’… and politely asks you to adjust.”
Extending the analogy further, he had said, “If only the budget shone as brightly as Coldplay’s lyrics. Instead, it’s more like The Scientist—full of promises but ultimately leaves us with one question: where did we go wrong? And as for the deficit, even my moon goggles can’t turn this disaster into a Sky Full of Stars. What we’re getting instead is a spreadsheet, full of scars.”
Sporting a pair of blue “moon” glasses, he had continued, “Even Chris Martin wouldn’t be able to find Paradise in these numbers. But don’t worry, they’ll still say, ‘Look at the stars, look at how they are shining for you,’ while conveniently dimming the light of reality—and on our bank accounts.”
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Summing up his stance, he had captioned the reel, “As the budget debate wraps up, let’s cut through the noise and face the facts: The GST still crushes essential items, income tax cuts are framed as a favour, and fuel prices remain a tangled mess of VAT, excise, and state taxes—with no real effort to fix the system. Who actually wins here? People don’t mind taxes—if they bring value. We need policies that drive real growth, not just short-term fixes. Because right now, ‘nobody said it was easy.’”
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