The opening days of India’s Winter Session of Parliament, already poised for heated debate, have been engulfed in a fresh controversy following a social media post by a senior Congress leader. Late last night, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak shared an AI-generated video depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking with a tea kettle and glasses at a global event, reigniting a deeply contentious political narrative and drawing furious condemnation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The post has quickly escalated into a major political row, threatening to derail legislative proceedings and underscoring the increasingly blurred lines between digital satire, political messaging, and personal attack in Indian politics.
A Decade-Old Echo
The controversy harks back to a remark made ahead of the 2014 general elections by senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who had mocked Mr. Modi’s humble origins, saying the then prime ministerial candidate would never ascend to the top post. Mr. Modi has often spoken with pride about assisting his father at a tea stall in Vadnagar railway station, Gujarat, framing his journey as a testament to the potential of every ordinary Indian.
A decade later, with Prime Modi now serving a historic third term, the Congress leader’s post has been perceived by the BJP as a revival of that same “elitist and insulting” mindset. Senior BJP leaders have launched a scathing counter-offensive, framing the video not merely as an attack on the Prime Minister, but on the aspirations of millions.
BJP’s Furious Retort: “Depraved Mindset” and “Grievous Insult”
The BJP’s response has been swift and severe. Senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP, C.R. Kesavan, condemned the post, stating it “exposes the depraved mindset of the Congress leadership.” In a strongly-worded statement, he said, “This disgusting tweet by the Congress is a grievous insult to the 140 crore hardworking meritorious Indians and it is a direct attack by the Congress on the OBC community.”
Kesavan connected the incident to a broader narrative, accusing the Congress of habitual disrespect. “The Congress leadership and Rahul Gandhi hate the fact that the people of India continue to bless and choose PM Narendra Modi ji who has come up through dedication and hard work as opposed to the arrogant and entitled Rahul Gandhi, who has been repeatedly rejected by the people.”
Echoing this sentiment, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to social media platform X to assert, “Naamdar Congress cannot stand a Kamdar PM from the OBC community who has come from a poor background.” He reminded the public of past incidents, stating, “They mocked his Chaiwala background earlier too. They abused him 150 times. They abused his mother in Bihar. People will never forgive them.”
A Stormy Session Ahead
This firestorm erupts at the outset of a Winter Session that promises to be tumultuous. The government has lined up a substantial legislative agenda, including key bills. However, the Opposition, led by the Congress, is determined to confront the government on several fronts, notably the issue of the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists in certain states, which they claim raises concerns about voter suppression.
The Nayak video controversy now adds a potent layer of political acrimony to this mix. It provides the BJP with ammunition to accuse the Opposition of resorting to personal, below-the-belt attacks instead of engaging in substantive debate on national issues. For the Congress, it risks shifting focus from their planned parliamentary strategy and reinforces BJP’s long-standing “anti-poor, elitist” caricature of the grand old party.
As Parliament reconvenes, the “tea video” is set to fuel more than just political debate; it has brewed a bitter cup of accusation and outrage, ensuring that the session begins not with a focus on legislation, but with yet another heated clash over dignity, representation, and the very nature of political discourse in the digital age. The episode also raises critical questions about the ethical use of AI-generated content in political messaging, setting a precarious precedent for elections and parliamentary democracy in the future.
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