It takes a seasoned statesman to turn a baseless jab into a masterclass in democratic decorum. And it takes Rahul Gandhi—the self-styled philosopher prince of Indian politics—to offer that opportunity with clockwork regularity. The latest viral video from Parliament captures a moment that perfectly distils the difference between a responsible Prime Minister and an eternally irresponsible Leader of the Opposition who still mistakes the Lok Sabha for an open-mic comedy night.
The scene: Rahul Gandhi rises, cracking one of his trademark “pun-laced” observations. He claims, with a flourish worthy of a standup audition, that senior BJP ministers greet him warmly in the House, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi never smiles, never exchanges pleasantries, never shows respect. In Rahul’s world, politics is apparently a kindergarten classroom where the gold star goes to whoever smiles the most.
But Narendra Modi—who has spent more years in public service than Rahul Gandhi has spent being serious—does not take the bait. Instead, he delivers a one-liner so crisp, so calm, and so devastatingly dignified that it leaves the entire House chuckling, and Rahul blinking. “I know the dignity and decorum of the House,” (Jo main ne seekha hai ki vipaksh netako gabhir thase lena chahiye) the Prime Minister says, his tone measured. “And I continue to adhere to listening to the Leader of the Opposition’s remarks more attentively.”
Translation: Some of us are here to work. Some of us are here to perform.
Rahul Gandhi’s latest quip belongs in the long museum of his political misadventures—a gallery so vast one wonders how he keeps adding exhibits with such dedication. For years, he has perfected the art of mistaking immaturity for irreverence and confusion for courage. Whether it’s his legendary “escape-to-Europe” sabbaticals, his foreign soil rants accusing Indian institutions of collapsing, or his repeated attempts to portray India as a divided, dying democracy—Rahul has consistently behaved less like a Leader of the Opposition and more like a wandering commentator with a malfunctioning microphone.
And Parliament? For him, it is simply Instagram Live without filters.
We’ve seen him invent new numbers for unemployment, misquote economic data, and deliver lectures so disconnected from reality that even the chairs seem to shift uncomfortably. His speeches often meander like a Google Maps route mistakenly set on “avoid highways.” And when facts corner him, he either laughs nervously or pivots to the evergreen safety net: “Modi, Modi, Modi.”
Contrast this with the Prime Minister—who, despite relentless sniping, personal slander, and manufactured theatrics, continues to respond with restraint. Modi doesn’t shout over opponents, doesn’t belittle their intelligence, doesn’t spiral into melodrama. He listens. He absorbs. And when he finally speaks, it is with the easy confidence of someone who understands power is best expressed through composure, not comedy.
Yesterday’s exchange reinforced this contrast so sharply that even neutral observers struggled to miss it. Rahul Gandhi cracked a joke. Modi cracked a smile—internally, one imagines—and responded with a seriousness that exposed the unseriousness across the aisle.
In many ways, Rahul Gandhi has become India’s only political leader who is taken less seriously at home than abroad—and abroad, only by audiences that enjoy tales of a “failing India” the way one enjoys fictional dystopia. His repeated attempts to paint India as fractured, authoritarian, and collapsing have earned him applause from exactly the people who wish those things were true. Meanwhile, in Parliament, he plays the clown prince, delivering punchlines instead of policy.
And this is the tragedy. India needs a strong, credible, intellectually grounded Leader of the Opposition. Instead, it has a part-time politician and full-time performance artist. And because the role demands seriousness, his unseriousness stands out even more starkly when measured against the Prime Minister’s restraint and maturity.
Modi’s brief reply—polite, pointed, and steeped in institutional respect—wasn’t just a rebuttal. It was a reminder. That leadership is not about witty lines but weighty responsibility. That governance is not theatre. And that Parliament deserves seriousness, not standup.
Rahul Gandhi offered sarcasm. Modi responded with statesmanship.
And that difference says everything. (The author is a senior state BJP leader)
