OPINION | Modi-Meloni: Why is Rahul angry?
Rahul Gandhi seems to be annoyed over Modi gifting a packet of Indian toffees to Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. He is doubly annoyed because he has to toil in the hot Indian summer, addressing rallies, while Modi posts his selfies with Meloni on the internet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni took social media by storm after their 'Melodi' video went viral, crossing a staggering 175 million views. In Gen Z parlance, the 11-second video broke the internet, but in India, the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi lashed out at Modi for this act.
Modi went off-beat from routine diplomatic niceties and posed with Meloni in a selfie, gifting her a packet of Parle's Melody toffees.
The video was posted on Instagram and X, and within minutes, it went viral.
Modi is tech-savvy. He understands the nuances of digital trends and social media. He tries to remain connected with the youth as an unconventional leader. It was Modi's turn to promote the hashtag 'Melodi'.
In his speech, Modi praised his Italian counterpart for her "exceptional" leadership and thanked her for her role in getting the India-EU free trade deal signed.
Meloni also praised Modi, saying she learned how to toil from him.
Meloni said, "There is an Indian word which states that very well, which is 'parishram'. 'Parishram', which means hard work, constant commitment. A word which I know is very often used in India, and it is often used in a very popular way of saying: 'Parishram hi safalta ki kunji hai' (hard work is the key to success)".
As prime ministers, Modi and Meloni have met seven times since the latter became the PM of Italy in 2022.
In India, Rahul Gandhi took umbrage over this reel. Rahul's maternal home happens to be near Vicenza in Italy. At a rally in Amethi, Rahul said, "At a time when the economy is facing grim challenges, there is inflation, Modi is busy offering toffees to Meloni in Italy."
At the Rae Bareli rally, Rahul said, "Modi is telling people to save fuel, avoid foreign trips, but he is himself travelling abroad."
He cautioned people to be cautious about huge inflation which is in the offing and stop relying on Modi, who, he said, "will go on TV, shed tears and say, he has not committed mistakes".
At his rallies, Rahul repeated his charges about Modi "selling" the country to Adani and Ambani, and went to the extent of naming Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as "gaddars" (traitors).
UP CM Yogi Adityanath reacted, saying, this is indicative of the negative politics of Congress and hate towards Modi. He demanded that Rahul apologise.
Rahul seems to be annoyed over Modi gifting a packet of Indian toffees to the Italian PM. He is doubly annoyed because he has to toil in the hot Indian summer addressing rallies and Modi posting his selfies with Meloni on the internet.
Naturally, Rahul will never like Modi hogging the social media limelight in his maternal home, Italy. It was left to BJP leaders to rub salt into his wounds by pointing out the achievements of the Modi government.
Bengal: Trouble mounts for Abhishek
West Bengal's CM Suvendu Adhikari has done in 10 days what Mamata Banerjee could not do in 12 years. He handed over 27 km of border land to the BSF near Chicken's Neck adjoining Siliguri.
Home Minister Amit Shah had written seven letters to Mamata Banerjee for land required for fencing the Indo-Bangladesh border, but nothing was done.
BJP's second electoral promise was to take action against those who looted the public exchequer during TMC's rule. The action has already begun from the top. Kolkata Municipal Corporation has sent notices to Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee for his properties, and bulldozers are ready for demolishing unauthorised constructions.
These 24 properties include two personal bungalows and buildings that house Abhishek's companies.
On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court ordered state police not to take any action against Abhishek Banerjee in the case relating to objectionable comments made by him against Amit Shah during the election campaign. The High Court also directed Abhishek Banerjee not to leave India without prior permission from the court.
Trinamool Congress workers will now stage protests throughout Bengal against demolitions.
NEET: Entire system needs an overhaul
The Maharashtra government will be using bulldozers to demolish properties held by the main accused in the NEET paper leak, Shivraj Motegaonkar, the owner of RCC coaching classes, in Pune, Beed and Nashik. CBI officials suspect that his family members could be involved in this case.
Twenty-five years ago, Motegaonkar used to stay in a rented single room, ride a bicycle and earn money through tuition. He set up a coaching centre, and today, he has coaching centres in eight districts with more than 40,000 students.
Motegaonkar was getting a medical college built, and his properties are presently valued at more than Rs 1,500 crore. Retired chemistry lecturer PV Kulkarni, another accused in the case, built a swanky home in Beed district, and this too has been earmarked for demolition.
CBI is probing the entire paper leak mafia network. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at a meeting with senior security agencies, directed them to keep a close watch on social media about the June 21 NEET re-exam.
The NEET paper leak case raises several questions. In this era of digital encryption, where blockchain-secured communication is possible, why can't we ensure that question papers are secure?
Are our cybersecurity protocols so weak that coaching class owners can easily break them?
The fact is, coaching class owners have a strong network which can decode the entire examination system. They know the loopholes. Coaching centre owners know who is saleable.
In such a scenario, getting question papers leaked is an easy task. Their men have dug themselves deep inside the system. There are so many loopholes in the system that it might be difficult to fix. The entire system needs a complete overhaul.
Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9:00 pm
India's Number One and most followed Super Prime Time News Show 'Aaj Ki Baat- Rajat Sharma Ke Saath' was launched just before the 2014 General Elections. Since its inception, the show has redefined India's super-prime time and is numerically far ahead of its contemporaries. Aaj Ki Baat: Monday to Friday, 9:00 pm.