New Delhi: Ahead of the general elections, BJP has launched a new campaign to counter Congress’s ‘Chowkidar Chor hai’ jibe.
A video with tagline ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ was tweeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning aiming to mobilise and tag anyone who fights against ‘social evil and corruption’ as a watchman or a Chowkidar.
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly hurled the “chowkidar chor hai” jibe at PM Modi to claim irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale deal. “Gali gali mein shor hai, Hindustan ka chowkidar chor hai (There is noise everywhere, the country’s guard is a thief),” Gandhi has often said at public rallies.
RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh recently sought an apology from the Congress chief for “insulting all the security guards in the country”. They threatened to launch a nation-wide stir if the party did not stop using it.
“It has become a fashion to raise such derogatory slogans in poll meetings and the Congress should apologise to the watchmen in the country for their character assassination,” BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said.
The Congress has also been using prime minister’s ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ slogan to mock the Bharatiya Janata Party over Rafale jet deal. Rahul Gandhi-led party tweeted images of PM Modi with Anil Ambani with a hashtag ‘Namumkin ab Mumkin hai’ (impossible is possible now).
Last week, Gandhi had said that PM Modi is “chowkidar” of Anil Ambani, and not of the nation. “When I raised questions over Rafale deal, PM Modi couldn’t see into my eyes. He said he wants to be ‘chowkidar’ of the country but he is ‘chowkidar’ of Anil Ambani whose Rs 45,000 crore debt was waived off, and also gave him Rs 30,000 crore Rafale jet deal,” he said.
BJP’s 2019 poll campaign is a similar strategy as 2014 where it turned around Manishankar Aiyar’s Chaiwalla jibe into a mass campaign.
‘Mai Bhi Chowkidar’ has been started after extensive surveys and data analysis by BJP strategists who feel that Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ jibes and campaign is not resonating among people. Surveys suggest that it is actually angering people.
This campaign will also further drive the narrative of PM’s strong and decisive image which multiple surveys have conveyed is the main factor in the upcoming elections.
