Ashwini Vaishnaw says Cabinet to take decisions in interest of 140 crore people, gets trolled

While the Union minister emphasised that Cabinet decisions are not driven by electoral considerations, the resolution pledging to act in the interest of 140 crore people became the focal point of public debate, as netizens questioned both its necessity and its timing. (AI-generated image)

A PTI update stating that the Union Cabinet had passed a resolution pledging to take all decisions “in the interest of 140 crore people” triggered sharp reactions online, with many users questioning why such a pledge was being made. The update followed a Cabinet meeting in which ministers also approved the renaming of Kerala as Keralam, a longstanding state demand endorsed under Article 3 of the Constitution.

According to the news agency, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefed the media, saying the Cabinet had adopted a service‑oriented resolution reaffirming that future decisions would be taken in the spirit of public welfare. The decision was announced at the first Cabinet meeting held at the newly inaugurated Seva Teerth PMO complex, where Vaishnaw described it as part of a broader governance approach rooted in constitutional values and nation‑building.

On X, however, the announcement quickly went viral and drew a wave of sarcastic responses. Users questioned the timing of the pledge, asking what the government had been doing “till today” if not working in the public interest.

One user wrote, “Eleven years into power and now you take this pledge? Why showcase this clownery publicly?” Another asked, “So all earlier decisions were in the interest of what, whom?” Others dismissed the resolution as “weekly nautanki” and “another jhumla”, demanding clarity on what the pledge actually meant and whether it implied past decisions were taken with other groups in mind.

The online criticism stood in contrast to the Cabinet’s other major decision of the day—the approval to officially rename Kerala as Keralam. The renaming proposal, passed by the state assembly in previous years, will now move to the President for referral to the Kerala legislature before the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in Parliament.

While Vaishnaw emphasised that Cabinet decisions are not driven by electoral considerations, the resolution pledging to act in the interest of 140 crore people became the focal point of public debate—mostly for the wrong reasons, as netizens questioned both its necessity and its timing.