Congress MP Shashi Tharoor made the headlines once again. This time it’s for calling our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘Chaiwala’ .
Shashi Tharoor said Nehru created the institutional structure so that even a Chaiwala could become Prime Minister. This indirect jibe to PM Modi, Prime Minister was quick with a comeback. PM Modi challenged the Congress Party to elect a Non Gandhi-Nehru party president if democracy truly existed.
Since our independence in 1947 the Congress party elected a Gandhi-Nehru president for 41 years. Even today the Gandhi family’s youngest prince heads the party after continual election setbacks. In a way the jibe makes sense, however you can’t deny that for 30 years a non Gandhi-Nehru headed the party.
If you examine the attack and the comeback both in a way make deep sense.
During the 2014 election campaign PM Narendra Modi in every rally cried-cried and boasted that he sold tea and that he is a ‘Chaiwala’. Modi and his party had used these terms extensively to gain votes in the past. I bet he is using it now as well.
If you openly talk about it (chaiwala) to the world its okay but when someone calls you that ‘chaiwala’ it hurts. If you have accepted that from within it shouldn’t hurt. This reverse trail of attacks is just a way to pull attention towards you. Repeating it over and over again, getting people to remember often creates an emotional connect. And must say he’s using it well.
Both these parties need to talk with more accountability rather than calling names. These acts seems like a nursery kids fight over candy.