‘Chaiwala’, ‘Chowkidar’, ‘Parivar’: How jibes at PM gave BJP 3 poll campaigns

The Opposition INDIA bloc has again offered the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) an opportunity to bank their jibes and turn them into a political campaign ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s recent “no family” remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the saffron party a new slogan – “Mera Bharat, Mera Parivar”.

These developments evoke memories of 2019 and 2014 when the BJP had used the Opposition’s barbs for its election campaigns.

Let’s take a look at what is going on.

‘Modi ka Parivar’ in 2024

Several Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, and BJP leaders added ‘Modi Ka Parivar (Modi’s family)’ as a suffix to their profile names on X after PM Modi hit out at the RJD supremo’s jibe that he had no family.

Speaking at a rally in Telangana’s Adilabad on Monday (4 March), Modi said that the “140 crore people of this country” are his “family”. “People of the nation consider me as their own. They love me like a member of their family. And that is why I say that the 140 crore people of this country are my family.”

“The youth – they are my family. Crores of daughters, mothers and sisters in the country… the poor people in the country… are my family. The millions of children and elderly people in the country – they are Modi’s family. Those who have no one belong to Modi and Modi belongs to them. My Bharat, my family,” he added.

PM’s remarks came a day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s attacks on him at the INDIA bloc’s ‘Jan Vishwas Maha Rally’ in Patna. The former Bihar chief minister had stated: “Modi keeps talking about pariwarwaad (dynastic politics). What can we do if Narendra Modi does not have a family of his own? He keeps bragging about the Ram temple. He is not even a true Hindu. In Hindu tradition, a son must shave his head and beard upon the demise of his parents. Modi did not do so when his mother died.”

PM Modi responded to this in Telangana, saying that he had left home at a young age to serve people as a “sevak”, adding that he targeted “dynastic parties” for their “jhooth and loot (lies and loot)”, according to Indian Express.

By Monday afternoon, ‘Modi Ka Parivar’ started trending on X. The BJP plans to capitalise on the jibe and make it a mass public campaign. The party’s social media head, Amit Malviya, has launched slogans like “MaiHoonModiKaParivar” and “Desh ka jan jan Modi ka parivar (Every citizen of the country is Modi’s family).”

BJP leaders Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Anil Sharma during the launch of ‘Hum Hain Narendra Modi ka Parivar’ campaign in New Delhi, 4 March 2024. PTI

“This will become a mass movement. People from all walks of life could associate with the new phrase ‘Modi Ka Parivaar’ and this could be another emotive connect of the PM with common people,” a senior BJP leader told News18.

Another senior party leader said that common people will make this campaign “bigger” and this will resonate with them as PM Modi has been addressing the public as “mere parivarjano (my family members)” at all his recent rallies, reported News18.

‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ in 2019

These identical changes by BJP leaders to their online profiles are similar to the updates made by them in 2019.

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi gave the ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ slogan ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, top BJP leaders prefixed ‘Chowkidar’ to their profiles on Twitter (now X).

Gandhi and other Opposition leaders tried to corner PM Modi alleging corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France in the run-up to the 2019 general elections. However, the Congress leader’s ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ jibe backfired as the BJP used the opportunity to portray solidarity with the PM.

Rahul Gandhi gave ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ slogan in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. PTI File Photo

The saffron party launched campaigns propping up PM Modi’s perceived clean image and his “na khaunga, na khane dunga” motto. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned with a thumping majority in the 2019 general elections.

‘Chai Pe Charcha’ in 2014

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar stirred a controversy that appears to have benefited the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections at the Grand Old Party’s cost.

“He could sell tea at a Congress conclave," the former Union Minister had said at the time for Modi. The ‘Chaiwala’ jibe spurred the BJP’s ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ poll campaign across the country. The party also used the opportunity to project Modi as someone who has “humble beginnings” while depicting the Congress as elitist.

The BJP trounced Congress by winning 282 Lok Sabha seats. The Grand Old Party was reduced to just 44 seats in the 543-member lower house.

With inputs from agencies