Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Opposition's 'Modi ka Asli Parivar' takes dig at BJP's 'Modi ka Parivar'

Addressing a public rally in Tamil Nadu on March 4, PM Modi said, "My family is the nation, consisting of 140 million countrymen. My Bharat is my family".

Shortly after the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) kicked off its "Modi ka Parivar" social media campaign on March 4, the Congress quickly launched criticisms at the party, taking a dig at its gesture ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections.

The Congress accused the BJP of diverting attention from genuine issues and employing such tactics as the I.N.D.I.A bloc gained momentum. The opposition party highlighted figures like Ajay Mishra Teni, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and billionaire Gautam Adani as the real family of the prime minister.

Prominent BJP leaders and ministers kicked off a viral campaign on March 4 by changing their X account profiles and bios to "Modi ka Parivar", in solidarity with PM Modi, a day after Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav's "Parivaarwaad" attack.

The Congress's social media platforms featured the hashtag 'Modi ka asli parivar", taking a dig at PM Modi's connections with Adani. Rahul Gandhi shared a photo of himself addressing Parliament, prominently displaying a picture of PM Modi traveling in a plane with Adani.

The Congress leader took to microblogging site X, remarking, "Farmers are in debt, youths are unemployed, labourers are helpless, and the country is being looted by Modi's 'real family'."

When questioned about the BJP's campaign, Congress general secretary, KC Venugopal, pointed out the growing enthusiasm among the public, particularly in Patna. He mentioned the increasing support for the I.N.D.I.A bloc, causing discomfort among BJP members.

Later, in a post on X, Venugopal stated that the women of Manipur, the protesting farmers at the Delhi borders, and the unemployed youth driven to suicide are part of "Modi ka Parivar".

"Do the women of Manipur find a place in Modi ka Parivar? Will the PM call the farmers protesting on the borders of Delhi his Parivar? What about the unemployed youth forced to commit suicide everyday - why won’t the PM call them his Parivar?" he wrote on his X account.

He also stated that the government serves the interests of the PM's associates, protects individuals accused of serious crimes, and welcomes leaders previously branded as corrupt. "That is #ModiKaAsliParivar," he said.

Meanwhile, DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai, in an interaction with reporters, said, "It's a mere rhetoric. I want to ask the Prime Minister, what has he done for the country in the last 10 years? You promised so many things. You promised Rs 15 lakhs if you brought back the black money which is stashed away. Why are you not giving these Rs 15 lakhs to your family members and cheating on them?..."

Annadurai's comments came shortly after PM Modi's address at a public rally in Tamil Nadu. "Congress, DMK, and the parties associated with the Indi alliance are corrupt and dynastic parties. For them, their family is everything, corruption is everything," he had commented in his speech.

"I've distanced myself from personal interests for the greater good of the country. My family is the nation, consisting of 140 million countrymen. Those without anyone are also part of Modi's family, and Modi belongs to them. My Bharat is my family, and hence, the entire nation proclaims today, 'I am part of Modi's family'", the prime minister had also said.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, interacting with the press, said, "Even Congress' primary concern revolves around the well-being of the nation's citizens. If PM Modi considers the 1.4 billion Indians as his family, why has he betrayed their trust and treated them unjustly? The past decade has been a period of injustice for his own family".

"His presence appears more focused on marketing and rebranding, and he asserts himself as a self-proclaimed world leader. While we hold the position of the Prime Minister in high regard, one must exhibit respectful behavior to earn respect," the Congress leader further commented.

Ramesh also took to X to share screenshots of the social media accounts of Ajay Mishra Teni and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, both updated with the suffix 'Modi Ka Parivar.' In an apparent reference to recent controversies involving these individuals, Ramesh commented, "Killings of farmers, atrocities against women, this is Modi's real family," using the hashtags 'Modi ka asli parivar'.

The BJP's "Modi ka Parivar" campaign has not only taken social media by storm, it has also hit the roads of the national capital as well. According to an ANI report, posters displaying PM Modi's photos have been put up in several areas of New Delhi, with "Modi ka Parivar" slogans.

Notably, the latest campaign is also reminiscent of the "Main Bhi Chowkidar" social media campaign on microblogging site X in 2019, which had been kicked off ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.