Everywhere, All at Once

The Prime Minister has successfully crafted a particular kind of image which is key to the BJP's electoral success. But in the process, the distinctive line between the government and the PM is getting blurred

- Abhik Bhattacharya

A month before the celebrated consecration of the Ram temple, a video of a man questioning the term ‘Modi sarkar’ went viral on social media. Rajvaibhav Shobha Ramchandra, a 30-year-old Ambedkarite social activist from Shiroli village of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, was sharp in his arguments when he stalled the chariot of Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra—a campaign designed to spread awareness about the various schemes of the current government. “Why is Modi Sarkar written on the chariot? It should be Bharat sarkar or Government of India,” Ramchandra told the state government employees.

Later, while talking to the media, he said: “We are not against government schemes, but if a political party like the BJP is spending the state’s money and officials are accompanying the chariot coloured like the party’s flag ahead of the General Elections, then we must oppose it.” This argument of Ramachandra soon found resonance in the nearby districts with people either stopping the chariot from entering villages or bombarding officials with questions. Some reports suggest that following many such consecutive incidents, a few central government employees had written to the respective district collectors seeking protection.