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Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Mera Bharat, Mera Photo-Op—From Rekha Gupta’s Metro ride to Modi’s broom

What is presented to us is not 'leading by example' but curated symbolism. The average person doesn't need their ministers to pose in a metro, but practical relief measures.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her cabinet clique hopping onto the Delhi Metro and boarding the DTC buses was, believe it or not, meant to send a message. Cameras followed as the ministers smiled through the “tedious” commute, portraying an image of humility, accessibility, and the buzzword for the past two weeks—austerity.

Wait, when have we seen similar acts of humility on display? The Swachch Bharat Mission. When all our ministers, MPs and even PM Narendra Modi descended on the roads for one day—yes, just one day—with brooms in hand and swept the already cleaned streets and pavements in posh areas of the cities.

Now, once again, wrapped under the banner of the “Mera Bharat Mera Yogdan” campaign and high on the Prime Minister’s appeal to reduce fuel consumption, a similar exercise is being sold as the model of “leading by example” politics.

Some notable cabinet ministers like Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, and Pankaj Singh also took the metro to reach their destinations; all well documented, of course.

It didn’t stop there. BJP MP Manoj........

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