By Sushil Kutty
The Congress party’s motherly love for rival Bharatiya Janata Party is the talk of the town , especially in poll-bound Bihar. And as it happens, the Congress hasn’t lost sight of the important role Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother played in child Modi, young Modi and older-older Modi’s life. The BJP doesn’t like this and would rather concentrate on Congress mothers. Also, the BJP appears to have nothing to highlight Congress mothers now that BJP leaders haven’t any barbs left.
So, while the world is tested by the topsy-turvy with United States President Donald Trump doing his best to bring things in line, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can’t escape the scrutiny directed at his late mother Heeraben who passed away in 2022 at age 99 and pictures of Prime Minister Modi were all over the media.
People die, all who are born. But mothers of prime ministers return, even if in an AI-generated form. Earlier, a couple of weeks ago, Prime Minister Modi’s late mother was the target of colourful phrases and the BJP erupted in fire and fury. The Prime Minister was at the SCO summit and when he returned, he “teared up” as all good sons should. It was a poignant moment of grief tinged with a trace of outrage.
Was Prime Minister Modi playing up the incident to the advantage of the BJP’s chances in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls? Let’s not forget Modi is a political animal through and through and isn’t loath to use all and everything to the logical end.
Question boils down to whether the Congress had inadvertently walked into Modi/BJP’s trap? Does calling Modi’s mother names help the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party? Difficult to say, but the BJP made sure the narrative shifted to its advantage. Prime Minister Modi’s mother was firmly etched in the voter’s mind.
It is all about power and it’s all about winning elections. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is at the helm of the INDIA bloc’s bid to overthrow the Modi regime and he’s coming out with innovative methods to change the political narrative to the INDIA bloc’s and the Congress’ advantage.
The Gandhi scion isn’t using any and every arrow in his quiver. Most everything Rahul Gandhi “scares” the ruling dispensation, especially the BJP-part of the National Democratic Alliance. Among the “fears” is) Rahul Gandhi’s frequent visits abroad. The BJP can’t take Rahul Gandhi’s foreign breaks without breaking down in sweat.
Least we can say is, Rahul Gandhi has the BJP in its thrall. His foreign breaks to exotic locations, what’s he upto? Who are the people he is meeting, what’s his business with them, is he cooking up something nasty for the Modi regime with powerful figures like George Soros?
So many questions and not answers are not forthcoming even as the relentless baiting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues unabated, excruciating. BJP spokespersons, once jaunty fellows, seem to have come the tether’s end. Cocky BJP recruits like Shehzad Poonawala and Pradeep Bhandari.
Then, there’s the so-called ‘Godi Media’, which gets the daily narrative from the BJP headquarters and when evening comes every anchor is talking the same like when Prime Minister Modi’s mother became the political butt, all the mainstream TV channels were talking of Modi’s mother and Modi’s mother alone!
Is the Congress gambling with its chances in the Bihar assembly elections? Can the Congress/INDIA bloc take the risk? It is a long time since the Opposition has had something to cheer about, right?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother can’t be a motherload of everlasting political advantages for the INDIA bloc. Besides, the Congress and the INDIA bloc have the ‘Rajmata’ on their side, who is a strong influence on LoP Rahul Gandhi.
But is that rubbing in, has it rubbed in? Does the Congress think of Sonia Gandhi? What if the BJP does a Heeraben with the Congress party’s most powerful face, has the Congress fetish with Modi’s mother started to boomerang on the INDIA bloc and nobody in the INDIA bloc is aware?
Things far more important are happening. Like the Senate confirmation hearing for Sergio Gor, Trump’s nomination for Ambassador to India. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there’s no better American for the vital India role. Shouldn’t India’s Opposition find out if that’s true?
Yep, things like that. But politicians being politicians do what they think is best and so Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late mother continues to make news and news that fits the time and age. Like using AI to bring Prime Minister Modi’s mother alive! Almost like playing God!
Even Prime Minister Modi, born of a powerful non-biological process, can’t beat that. So, now there is the AI video on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, which has snowballed. The Congress has doubled down on Modi’s mother as if it was a direct order from the gods above to the God below.
The Congress says nobody had been disrespected; that the video was about a “parent educating her child” and Modi like all children needed educating.”It is the duty of parents to educate their children. She (PM Modi’s late mother Heeraben Modi) is only educating her child and if the child thinks that it is disrespectful towards him, it is his headache,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said.
What’s wrong in that, the BJP will have to go afresh to the drawing board, think of how to pitch mom with mom. Whoever thought Prime Minister Modi’s mother will become a headache for Modi and the BJP even if there are BJP politicians eager to use the Congress tactic for political advantage!
The BJP says the video posted by the Bihar Congress on ‘X’ is an insult to all women. The AI likeness of Heeraben Modi criticising Prime Minister Modi for “using her to get votes”. The BJP says the “Congress is stooping to new lows”. “The Congress is stooping to new lows. First, expletives were used against Prime Minister Modi’s mother from a Congress stage. Now, the party is insulting her again by creating an AI-generated video of her.
“Bihar and India will not tolerate this insult. Making such a video and putting words into the mouth of the Prime Minister’s mother, who is no longer with us, is unfortunate. The Congress should rise above this shamelessness. It will pay for this in the elections as the people of Bihar are very angry,” the BJP said.
Is that so, are the people of Bihar “very angry”; maybe they are enjoying the drama being played and making up their minds on which party/alliance to vote for on the d-day. The Last word is that if the BJP wins Bihar it will be because Prime Minister Modi’s mother was “insulted” but if the Congress/INDIA bloc trounces the BJP-led NDA, that too will be because Modi’s mother came into play. (IPA Service)
