Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently tweeted out in support of the one thing that is really close to his heart — fitness.
Challenge accepted, Virat! I will be sharing my own #FitnessChallenge video soon. @imVkohli #HumFitTohIndiaFit https://t.co/qdc1JabCYb
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 24, 2018
On Thursday, PM Modi accepted a fitness challenge presented by cricketer Virat Kohli, saying that we should expect a video of his challenge “soon”.
That was the cue for some of his most vocal critics to tweet at him about the issues that are plaguing the country at the moment — fuel prices touching record highs, the violence at Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, where individuals protesting against a copper plant polluting their water were gunned down by police officials.
Dear PM,
Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here’s one from me:
Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so.
I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 24, 2018
PM Modi has been quite busy promoting the social media campaign #HumFitTohIndiaFit, which was started by Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, being such a fitness freak and all.
How about devoting some time to Setu Bandhasana? I am sure you will enjoy this Asana. Watch this video. #4thYogaDay pic.twitter.com/EOMPUhuwwe
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 24, 2018
Would he also care to address the fuel prices, which were hiked for the 10 days in a row? On Tuesday, a litre of petrol in Delhi would have cost you Rs 76.87 — a record high. Reportedly, the rates were already at peak on Sunday, surpassing the last highest rate of Rs 76.06, recorded on September 14, 2013. In Mumbai fuel was sold at Rs 84.70 per litre on Tuesday, while in Chennai and Kolkata, it hit Rs 79.79 per litre and Rs 79.53 respectively. While the government says it is working on a “long-term solution”, there seems to be no relief at the moment.
One cop prods the man lying on the ground and says, “stop acting, leave”. #SteriliteProtest pic.twitter.com/rcp6vWcsu7
— Anna Isaac (@anna_isaac) May 23, 2018
If prices weren’t enough of a crisis, in Thoothukudi, people protesting the groundwater contamination by Sterlite Copper Smelter plant were shot to kill by policemen on Tuesday. On Thursday, the death toll rose to 13. Meanwhile, authorities suspended internet services in the city and Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts to prevent “rumours” from seeping out of the state.
Modi’s tryst with crude prices should remind us of that old dictum: “You know who is swimming naked when the tide runs out.” Now he is trying to distract us with newer tamashas like fitness challenge. #JustJumlas #OilPrice
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 24, 2018
#CompassionChallenge pic.twitter.com/9GdCvYDtdj
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 24, 2018
Shri @narendramodi is accepting #FitnessChallenge from sports stars. How about accepting a #FitnessToRuleChallenge from citizens – Break silence on #Vedanta #ThoothukudiMassacre, stop telling lies, provide jobs, protect farmers, jail lynchers, sack party men who protect rapists?
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) May 24, 2018
Respected Prime Minister,
I’m from TN(a tax paying part of India).Kudos on taking @imVkohli ‘s challenge. But there’s this little town in our state called “Thoothukudi” where 12 of our civilians have been shot dead by the govt. Kindly spare a sec to look into our challenges too.— Shenbagaraj (@shenbagarajG) May 24, 2018
.@narendramodi ji, to forward the cause of education, how about a #SelfieWithDegree?
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) May 24, 2018
Virat ! Pl put challenge to Modi “sahib “on #petrolpricehike ! #SterliteKillings because he accepts & respond to u only ! Other voice he don’t care
— manickam tagore (@manickamtagore) May 24, 2018
While we have nothing against accepting fitness challenge from @imVkohli . I urge you to accept the challenge to provide jobs to young, relief to farmers, promise of no violence against dalits & minorities. Would you accept my challenge @narendramodi Sir?
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 24, 2018
.@NarendraModi presides over a “fitness challenge” with a coterie of B’wood & cricketing celebs & sycophant ministers at a time when a calculated massacre comparable to Jallianwala Bagh has occurred to stall citizens uprising against a mining company co-sponsoring his power lust. pic.twitter.com/WnbGkjwDpo
— Angshukanta (@angshukanta) May 24, 2018
Every person has a job. My gym trainer will take care of my fitness. As PM, you jolly well take care of your job – to give jobs, keep fuel prices low, have social harmony and govern. You have failed on all counts and are trying to now distract us with these tamashas.
— Dushyant (@atti_cus) May 24, 2018
Would Mr Modi care to address these “challenges” as well? Or would this take roughly three months for him to break his silence, too?
