'Scoot And Shoot' Politics? Rahul Gandhi's Nicknames For PM Modi, Jaishankar Spark Political Row
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This raises the question if Rahul Gandhi is turning into another Arvind Kejriwal, as the former Delhi CM was often accused of making allegations without substantiating them
JJ or 'Jaichand" Jaishankar, a moniker coined by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came about after a video surfaced of the external affairs minister speaking to a Pakistani before 'Operation Sindoor'. Despite a clarification from the central government, the nickname stuck but not for too long.
Rahul Gandhi soon coined another name, this time for the Prime Minister — 'Narender Surrender" — which he first mentioned at a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal. The term gained traction as the Congress used memes and social media to accuse Modi of allowing US President Donald Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan.
As the Congress and BJP locked horns, Gandhi shifted focus. Within 24 hours of visiting Bihar, he wrote a newspaper article about 'match fixing" in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, accusing the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of manipulating voter data.
Now, this has raised questions if he is turning into another Arvind Kejriwal? The former Delhi chief minister was often accused of 'scoot and shoot" politics — making allegations without following them up with proof or substantiating them.
It looks like Gandhi and the BJP are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game, where neither can ignore each other nor peacefully coexist. The BJP's strategy involves responding to every comment by the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha. They aim to keep him in the news, believing that frequent rebuttals will discredit him.
The Congress, however, is no longer willing to accept the 'Pappu' tag. They assert that Gandhi's allegations have often proven true. Let's consider three recent instances.
Next, the 'Narender Surrender" comment: the BJP refuted it, and the Congress faced embarrassment when its own leaders, part of the delegation, denied the claim. Even senior leader Salman Khurshid, who has a good relationship with top leaders, dismissed the tag.
Finally, the Maharashtra issue: the EC has countered Gandhi's accusation multiple times. Moreover, the Congress ally in Bihar was upset that the issue was raised ahead of state polls.
The BJP now awaits the next issue Gandhi will tackle. A senior BJP leader told News18 that attacking him earns them brownie points. His inconsistency, they said, reinforces the perception of him as a non-serious leader who retreats when the going gets tough.
First Published:
June 10, 2025, 07:00 IST
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