Watchmen across country pained over "insult" caused by Congress chief: Modi

In a deft political manoeuvre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday countered Rahul Gandhi's 'chowkidar chor hai' campaign by addressing real life watchmen and equating their work with patriotism and honesty. Modi said watchmen across the country were pained over the "insult" caused by the Congress president due to vested interests, but a different environment has emerged in the country following the BJP's "Main bhi chowkidar" (I too am watchman) drive as people were taking pledge to work like a watchman in their respective fields.

Without naming Gandhi, he said his rivals lacked the guts to name him and attack him directly, and instead resorted to "defaming" watchmen by calling them thieves. Modi offered his "apology" to security guards for this "misinformation" campaign against them and said their work has inspired people in different walks of life to fight against all kinds of evils. He asked the people to keep the 'chowkidar' within them alive all the time, irrespective of their fields of work. With the prime minister often projecting himself as the country's 'chowkidar', Gandhi had coined "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is thief) jibe to allege corruption in the Rafale deal, a charge denied by the government.

Known for his innovative political campaigns, Modi recently launched the "Main bhi chowkidar" drive on social media to turn the tables on the Congress. The word watchman has now become synonymous with patriotism and honesty, he asserted. In Wednesday's interaction, Modi also attacked opposition parties over its response to the Indian Air Force's strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack, saying bombs were dropped in the neighbouring country but they were screaming in India. "Every Indian is proud, but people are sad and perplexed at the response of opposition parties. In fact, those supporting 'tukde tukde gang' are not able to digest that how our armed forced rained bombs on Pakistan," he said while addressing watchmen.

Modi was apparently referring to Gandhi's visit to the JNU campus in support of students, some of whom were accused by police of raising anti-India slogans. The country needs to identify such people, he said attacking the opposition and added that people will neither forget the valour of the armed forces nor the opposition's response. "What the country saw was unprecedented that the attack happened in Pakistan but some people got ill here," he said. The BJP said Modi interacted with over 25 lakh watchmen.

The prime minister said his job like them is also of a watchman as he has to be alert round the clock. Modi said it was the change of watchman in 2014 that has brought the difference in governance and said if the 'chowkidar' was given respect earlier, then "loss" of lakhs of crores of rupees would not have happened. The prime minister said he is working with same officers and administration but scamsters and brokers had penetrated every sphere of governance earlier which, he asserted, is not the case since he took over.