‘Andolan Jeevi’, ‘Urban Naxal’, ‘Khan Market Gang’, ‘Dimaagi Naxal’ and ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’. Suffice to say, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never been shy of slapping these labels on his critics and opponents. But as he turns 76, we offer one of our own: ‘Event Jeevi’, for a prime minister who turns every occasion into an event. 

In this explainer, we trace a distinct pattern. Whether it’s taking office or celebrating five, eight, nine, ten or twelve years in office or becoming the longest-serving elected Prime Minister, each event came with a celebration. Foreign tours end in airport welcomes, state visits in inaugurations and felicitations, and even appointment letters are handed over as spectacles. Even in times of crisis, like during COVID-19, as thousands walked hundreds of kilometres to get back home while the state abandoned them, he called on citizens to bang plates. It’s hard not to scoff at the ridiculousness of it all. 

And then comes the cost. After changes in the GST, thank-you advertisements followed, then the “GST Savings Festival,” which ran from September 4 to October 28, with Rs 22 crore of your hard-earned taxpayer money spent on advertising. His birthday this year has also brought newspaper ads, hoardings across Delhi, diya-lighting events from around the country and ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan running from September 17 to October 17, whose full expenditure is yet to be disclosed. That’s more taxpayer money down the drain. 

Alongside every event runs a parallel one on our world-famous ‘Godi Media’ channels – from diya portraits to a ‘Namo for Viksit Bharat’ gathering in Vadodara whose free tickets apparently sold out within an hour. The real question isn’t how many events there were, but how much public money they cost. All to placate ‘Event Jeevi’ Modiji!  

Watch this video.

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