#ArharModi: Rahul Gandhi's new catchphrase catches Twitter's pulse

For a while now, Rahul Gandhi has been trying once again to find a catchphrase to counter the BJP's PM-Modi-Is-A-God-Who-Will-Fix-Everything narrative. Rahul had tried "suit boot ki sarkar" and "Fair and Lovely" earlier, but every thing has a shelf life (unlike Modi).

With elections in the crucial states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab due next year, Rahul has now experimented (after a good snooze in Lok Sabha, of course) with BJP's absolute incompetence to control price rise, the very thing they had berated the UPA2 with during the 2014 general election campaign.

We should thank Rahul's speech writer, for the guy (or bunch of guys/gals) does come up with awesome and punchy jibes.

This time around, Modi's godlike "Har Har Modi" became "Arhar Modi". 

The Congress scion was in a good form in Parliament today and lodged a frontal attack on the central government, hurling accusations of insensitivity, apathy towards the plight of the common man, particularly the poorer classes. In the din and chaos of hypernationalism, Rahul brought back the indispensable - food and food prices.

"All across villages, a plaintive new slogan is ringing out- Arhar Modi, Arhar Modi." 

He then read out a list of lentil prices, costs of a slew of vegetable items and then asked the government to give us all a date by which food items will become affordable again. 

Arhar dal has seen its prices have going through the roof, and this "Arhar Modi" phrase was occasionally used during Bihar Assembly polls last year. But, it made sense for Rahul Gandhi to re-insert "Arhar Modi" in the national conversation, purely because food prices have seen a 100 per cent hike since Modi came to power.

Twitter jumped on #ArharModi and the Congress might have finally found a catchphrase once again which resonates with India.

Jokes aside, the #ArharModi catchphrase can be a vote-spinner in the upcoming UP and Punjab polls, as well give the national narrative a much-needed reality check.

Food before flag

Rahul not only criticised the Narendra Modi government for neglectling the poor, he equally brought up the controversial land acquisition issue, at a time when Kashmir-centric patriotism tests were becoming the beginning and end of all conversations. "You said you wanted to be the people's chowkidaar. But it has been left to the Congress to serve as chowkidaar."

The allegations were obviously pointing towards the farmer suicides and crop failures that plagued almost one-quarter of Indian demography in the first part of this year.

Results, not big claims

Rahul Gandhi made it plain and clear that despite all the big talks and a flurry of initiatives - such as Make In India, Digital India, Swacch Bharat, StartUp India - the Modi government is yet show results in any one of them. While inflation has been at a high, even flagship projects have been laggard at best, big only in hype and obfuscating actual figures.

Hence, the blowback from FM Arun Jaitley sounds rather hollow: "Any form of bluster is no substitute for statistics. It is not a question of slogans but statistics... Inflation was in double digits for 18 months during the UPA regime." 

Rahul instead asked to tone down its rhetoric and start refocussing on welfare.

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Corruption and atrocities

While Punjab has been plagued by the drug crisis spiralling out following the Udta Punjab controversy, in UP and Gujarat, Dalits and Muslims have been lynched and beaten to death over the cow politics. Though Rahul packed his punch with inflation issues, the context couldn't have been any clearer. The irony is even sharper because Modi, himself an OBC, is pretty much silent on the rising crime graph against a huge section of Indians.

Back from the wings?

As for Rahul Gandhi himself, looks like he's back from a little political siesta, given his sister Priyanka and strategist Prashant Kishor have been hogging the limelight of late. After electoral goofups in Kerala and Assam, the party needs to bounce back in the national conversation, and it's time the reluctant prince either sits on the throne, or abdicate it altogether.

His occasional punchy remarks - including the "suit book ki sarkar" and "Fair & Lovely" - were highly appreciated. While the first referred to Narendra Modi's 10,000 GBP monogrammed suit that he wore to greet US President Barack Obama, the latter was a tongue and cheek jibe at Modi's promise to bring back black money and turn it into white.  

Can #ArharModi be Rahul's comeback line?