#ModiInDubai

I have no doubt that hosannas will be sung about the Madison Avenue redux at the Dubai cricket stadium by Narendra Modi. All day today on Indian television and for a week on social media will see discussions aplenty about the speech. #ModiInDubai was trending during his speech itself. Clearly there is much to crow about the performance – for a politician.

However, Narendra Modi was not in the UAE just as an uber successful politician but as the Prime Minister of the country. He is my PM, he is your PM and he is the PM of Rahul baba and Sonia Gandhi too. That is the image that he should project – that of a statesman and not that of a glib politician.

I would not be a position to talk about the entire speech because I could not sit through it all but certain comments made by NaMo were not, in my view, in good taste. And therein lies the rub. I am not for a moment suggesting that it was a bad speech in its entirety or that he did not say anything of relevance at all in the 20 minutes that I watched his speech. He did. The investments, the anti-terrorism front, UAE’s support to India for a seat on the Security Council et al – all very relevant and important.

However, not every speech delivered needs to be of the type given at a political rally. 

I was really uncomfortable with the jibes by the Prime Minister at the opposition, principally the Congress, when on foreign shores. It sounds great when you are taking the battle to the opposition when on campaign trail but sounds petty in this scenario.

“There are 700 flights from India to Dubai but it has taken 34 years for a PM to visit you.” Really, was that required? And also the statement about the results of the General Elections being celebrated as much in Dubai as in India is a statement befitting the President of the BJP addressing the crowd. Not the PM of the country speaking on foreign soil.

I do not wish to sound unduly negative about the Prime Minister but the overall feel that I got from the speech was that it was a PR spiel. And that put me off. Work silently and let others sing your praises. There seem to be enough and more willing to do that in any case. Why tom tom your supposed successes yourself? It does not behove a PM who is on a visit to a foreign land.

Modiji you have won the general elections. You need not keep telling us how awesome you are or keep attacking poor Rahul baba’s party. We all know that you are competent and that Rahul Baba and Co. messed up, which is why you came to power with such a mandate. You can exit campaign mode now.

There are promises to keep, and miles to go before you sleep. Especially since you have made so many of them during your election campaign. Let’s start ticking them off one by one now. It is High Time.