Twitter war over Modi-chaiwala jibe proves BJP and Congress care about memes more than India
While there was no occasion to post the derogatory meme, there was no reason to react to it
The political discourse of the country has touched a new low, with leaders of national parties waging a war over a meme on Twitter weeks ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections. That most of them are not interested in genuine issues that voters face was not unknown to us, but the fact that unleashing a volley of tweets is so important to them is disturbing.
The “non-issue” started when Yuva Desh, an online magazine of the Congress’s youth wing, tweeted a meme featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Theresa May. The meme, at a time elections are imminent, makes fun of PM Modi's pronunciation and mocks his “tea-seller” background.
It shows Modi talking to the other two leaders about the Opposition's meme attacks on him and the PM pronouncing the word meme as “maymay”. Trump corrects his pronunciation, while Theresa May condescendingly asks Modi to go back to selling tea.
While there was no occasion to post the derogatory meme, there was no reason to react to it either. That would show maturity, a trait our political parties are not ready to imbibe. So, a Twitter war breaks out.
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani points out the derogatory tweet and slams the Congress:
This blatantly classist and anti-poor Tweet by the Youth Congress shows their mindset towards India’s poor. Does Crown Prince @OfficeOfRG support this? https://t.co/gOqRqWIfL4
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) November 21, 2017
The tweet gets deleted. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questions the Congress leadership on whether the meme has got the approval of party president Rahul Gandhi.
The arrogance of the Congress Party and shameful anti-poor stand gets exposed from the official twitter of the Youth Congress that a person born in poverty in the family of a tea vendor cannot become the Prime Minister. No lessons learnt. Insulting popular mandate. pic.twitter.com/aKxWkvvdyY
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) November 21, 2017
Madam Sonia Gandhi & Mr Rahul Gandhi do u still believe that only u have a divine right to rule India? Country expects ur response on the tweet of the youth Congress, which is shameful & insulting to poor. U can delete the Tweet but ur thinking towards the poor stands exposed. pic.twitter.com/TKQho0lAiB
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) November 21, 2017
Other leaders, too, joined the war.
What is about elements of the Congress party that commit political suicide with such amazing regularity? This tweet is in such poor taste. https://t.co/swRy5l57WU
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 21, 2017
Congress has once again displayed its anti-poor mindset through such tweets. Upcoming elections will be another reality check for them. pic.twitter.com/Qxj2aGXxPM
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 21, 2017
Now this is what @INCIndia has reduced itself to ..shameful!! https://t.co/nVnpiKfuFp
— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) November 21, 2017
Immediately, the Congress leadership distanced itself from the handle and regretted the tweet. It said the Twitter handle is managed by volunteers, not by the Youth Congress. “INC strongly disapproves and rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and all political opponents,” it said. Yuva Desh apologised too.
INC strongly disapproves & rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and all political opponents. https://t.co/RqLOugCHwh
— Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 21, 2017
Although the handle @Yuvadesh is being run by youth volunteers and not by @iyc ,we do not approve of such humour and apologise.Despite political differences with the BJP & having suffered everyday abuse from their leaders, we respect the Prime Minister & all political opponents.
— Amarinder Singh Raja (@RajaBrar_INC) November 21, 2017
Sincere apologies Raja Sir. As directed by you the tweet has been deleted.Will ensure that the mistake does not happen again. https://t.co/lAEWkO5Ryi
— Yuva Desh (@yuvadesh) November 21, 2017
Meanwhile, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya found an old “gem” tweeted by Yuva Desh.
Indian Youth Congress has been a serial offender. Another gem: https://t.co/F24es1kluU #CongressInsultsIndia pic.twitter.com/e7q6YlDK0p
— Amit Malviya (@malviyamit) November 21, 2017
This could have been enough for an evening. But the meme-counter meme game on Twitter had gathered momentum. So, BJP MP Paresh Rawal added to it, tweeting, “Our Chai-wala is any day better than your Bar-wala!”, only to delete it later with a note of regret.
Deleted the tweet as it’s in bad taste n I apologise for hurting feelings .
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) November 21, 2017
It didn’t stop there, and Congress leader Randeep Surjewala pitched in:
क्या अब ईस घटियापन व गंदगी पर उतर आएँ हैं गुजरात के भाजपा सांसद? क्या यही हैं महिला सम्मान की भाजपाई परिभाषा?माफ़ी माँगें मोदीजी और कार्यवाही करें।क्या भक्त चैनल साहस दिखाएँगे? pic.twitter.com/GB0l3sTxRb
— Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 22, 2017
Instead, a new hate campaign with #SerialAbuserBJP started trending on Twitter with the Youth Congress steering it by pointing out an equally derogatory meme on Sonia Gandhi by some trolls who are being followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
Youth Congress has already regretted and apologised for the distasteful representation of Meme, but have you ever heard of #SerialAbuserBJP showing any regret on their abuses !!!
— Youth Congress (@IYC) November 22, 2017
From bottom to top, BJP is full of abusers. Will #SerialAbuserBJP will take notice of this and set own house in order first
— Youth Congress (@IYC) November 22, 2017
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi could be the only PM across the globe who follows score of #SerialAbuserBJP trolls on Twitter, an indirect support to trolls to abuse
— Youth Congress (@IYC) November 22, 2017
This is not the first time that our political leaders have picked up a digital debate leading nowhere. A few days ago, Amit Malviya stirred a controversy by tweeting a photo of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with his sister and niece in his desperate attempt to prove that Patidar leader Hardik Patel had Nehru’s DNA in the wake of a "sex CD" involving the latter.
At a time when the supersonic missile BrahMos is successfully test-fired by India and the country wins at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) beating the UK, it is unfortunate that the political discourse at home is yet to go beyond its myopic vision of who makes a meme on what.