In poll-bound Bihar, rally attendees on Wednesday shared a quick laugh at the expense of Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The first phase of voting is currently underway in the state even as campaigning continues for the upcoming legs of the election.
Rahul Gandhi was addressing a rally in the state, when a person in the crowd shouted something about pakoras. Pausing his address briefly, the Congress leader asked the person if he had fried some pakoras. "You should offer some to Nitish ji and PM ji when they come here next," he added with a smile, prompting many in the audience to laugh.
A video of the incident was shared on Twitter by news agency ANI.
The pakora jibe is not new, having its origin in a 2018 comment made by the Prime Minister during an interview. At the time, he had been remarking on how the unemployment rate in the country was likely to be lower that statistical data would make it seem. "If someone opens a 'pakoda' shop in front of your office, does that not count at employment? The person's daily earning of Rs 200 will never come into any books or accounts," he had been quoted as saying by Zee News.
And while the original point was a tad different, it has since become a jibe used by the Opposition to hit out at the economic policies of the government. Interestingly, there is even a Wikipedia page for 'Pakodanomics'.
