Mumbai, Sep 12 (IANS): The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on what it termed the growing global culture of election-time handouts, drawing parallels between US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Trump Dividend” scheme and welfare initiatives rolled out by political parties in India.
In an editorial published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit alleged that the “freebie culture” fostered by Trump in the United States and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India has weakened democratic values and undermined human dignity.
The editorial argued that while India has schemes such as “Ladki Bahin” and similar welfare programmes in various states, Trump’s proposal to deposit $5,000 into the bank account of every adult American if Republicans win control of both houses of Congress amounts to a comparable election-time inducement.
“What Modi and Shah are doing in India, Trump is replicating in the United States — using public money, distributing handouts and winning elections,” the editorial claimed, adding that although the beneficiaries may differ, the underlying political approach remains the same.
According to the Thackeray camp, Trump’s proposed “Trump Dividend” is to secure electoral support through direct cash transfers. It argued that implementing such a scheme would impose a burden of more than $1 trillion on the US Treasury at a time when the country’s national debt has crossed $40 trillion, and its annual fiscal deficit stands at $1.8 trillion.
The editorial further claimed that Trump’s announcement had created unease within his own party and cited reports of concerns over the proposal’s fiscal implications and implementation.
“Furthermore, distributing this handout will require congressional approval. The moment Trump announced the $5,000 payout, leaders and ministers within his own party were left bewildered. Vice President J.D. Vance expressed clear dismay, attempting to control the narrative by stating that the money would only be distributed following strict scrutiny and legal procedures, ensuring wealthy adults would not benefit. This reflects the same strategy used by the Indian government’s grand announcements first, then delay execution using conditional clauses and bureaucratic fine print,” claimed the editorial.
Drawing a comparison with India, the Shiv Sena (UBT) referred to Modi’s 2014 promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s bank account, alleging that the pledge remains unfulfilled. It also criticised a range of welfare schemes announced by state governments across the country, arguing that such programmes are increasingly being used as electoral tools.
The party said pressing issues such as unemployment, inflation and agrarian distress remain unresolved in India, while Trump’s administration was similarly failing to address domestic challenges in the US.
Claiming that “freebie politics” has become a global trend, the editorial alleged that governments are increasingly relying on public-funded handouts to secure electoral victories. It concluded that such politics, whether in India or the US, have compromised democratic principles and diminished public accountability.
