It seems like ever since the so-called farmers from Punjab wantonly destroyed and damaged about 1500 Jio towers in opposition to the newly introduced Farm Laws by the central government, the former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has toned down on his rhetoric against businessmen Adani and Ambani.
For a long time now, Gandhi has been routinely trotting out Adani-Ambani jibes to allege that the Modi government is in cahoots with business conglomerates and is working against the interests of common people. However, the Adani-Ambani jeers that the Wayanad MP used to project that the Centre is practising crony capitalism are conspicuously absent.
This was pointed out by a Twitter user, who wondered what could have possibly transpired in the days between the destruction of 1500 Jio towers by the protesters in Punjab and his year-end holiday. In a tweet on January 10, Rahul Gandhi shunned using the familiar refrain of “Adani-Ambani” and instead, started using “Punjpati“(Capitalists) to attack the government.
पूंजीपति to 2-3 friends. Can imagine what must have happened behind curtains https://t.co/plwoBCZcT5
— iMac_too (@iMac_too) January 14, 2021
Perhaps “Punjpati” had pronunciation issues and therefore within 4 days, Rahul Gandhi migrated to using “2-3 friends” instead. Speaking to reporters on January 14, Rahul Gandhi stated that the government is not only neglecting but conspiring to destroy protesting ‘farmers’ because they want to benefit “2-3 of their friends”. He said the government wanted to give what belongs to farmers to 2-3 of their friends.
However, even “2-3 friends” did not last for too long as Rahul Gandhi modified his jibe to “4-5 friends” two days later on January 16 when he was speaking to a reporter, accusing the centre of colluding with 4-5 of its friends with the new farm bills.
What to make of the eternal-youth leader of Congress, who cannot even say a simple line without having been prompted by his team of handlers?
— Know The Nation (@knowthenation) January 16, 2021
Watch @RahulGandhi parrot what he is prompted during an address: pic.twitter.com/zX5LyDJOFk
Curiously, “Adani-Ambani” jibe seems to have been permanently erased from the memory of Rahul Gandhi as he alludes to them as friends of the Modi government. From ceaselessly naming Adani and Ambani to mount an attack against the central government, Rahul Gandhi has resorted to being ambiguous in accusing the Centre of cronyism.
On January 19, Rahul Gandhi continued scare-mongering about the new farm bills and stoking farmers’ resentment against the Modi government. In a press conference by the Congress party, the former party president said that the increasing monopoly of 4-5 people in every industry meant that they were the new owners of the country. Gandhi said that till now there has been no monopoly in Agriculture, but the Modi regime is bent on upending the entire structure of farming and giving it in the hands of “4-5 people”.
Even on his visit to Tamil Nadu, Gandhi has been studiously avoiding to name the business conglomerates Adani and Ambani in his broadsides against the government.
In an interaction with people in Tiruppur on January 23, Gandhi insinuated that the central government has presided over a systematic and organised assault on workers and poor people of the country. Gandhi preened on himself for interacting with the common people and claimed that PM Modi would not do that and instead sit in a room with 5 biggest business people in the country and have discussions with them.
The following day, January 24, Rahul Gandhi at another event in Tamil Nadu, said, “Every action taken by the Indian government is done to strengthen 5-6 business people and weaken India’s real strength, i.e labourers, workers and others.”
#WATCH | …If India’s labourers, farmers & weavers were strong, protected & given opportunities, China would never dare to come inside India…: Rahul Gandhi, Congress in Erode, Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/IFDbzflCBo
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2021
Even today, Gandhi continued fuelling apprehensions about the new farm laws stating that the new bills would destroy Indian agriculture and will be handed over to “2-3 big industrialists”.
The PM is attacking our farmers. He has brought 3 new laws which are going to destroy Indian agriculture & hand it over to 2-3 big industrialists. Imagine that one of the laws clearly states that farmers can’t go to court to protect themselves: Rahul Gandhi, in Karur, Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/qua6Foi6lj
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2021
From once going all guns blazing against the Business conglomerates, unapologetically naming them and making unsubstantiated allegations against them, Gandhi has consciously refrained from mentioning them, particularly Adani and Ambani, in the last few days.
This behavioural change in Rahul Gandhi, who has otherwise shown a stubborn willingness to not learn from his past mistakes, came about in the wake of damages caused to 1500 Jio towers by the vandals masquerading as protesters.
It remains to be seen what has prompted the Gandhi scion to abstain from making “Adani-Ambani” jibes. Is it the growing unpopularity of the Congress party amongst India Inc. or are there other complex and hidden dynamics that are at play? The coming days might, perhaps, unravel what has compelled Rahul Gandhi to curb himself from making “Adani-Ambani” rhetoric.