The PM feeding peacocks: Instagram video invites comparison with Nero and Marie Antoinett

“Quiz: Someone is preening in the time of pandemic. Who?” asked the front page headline to a montage in The Telegraph on Monday. A similar montage of pictures of Prime Minister Modi feeding pracocks and peahens or walking past them on the lush lawns of the PM’s residence appeared in The Deccan Herald with a more subdued headline, Bird’s eyeview.

As the video was shared and circulated on Sunday, the PM’s admirers gushed at how nature friendly he is and how the peacocks trusted him completely. News agencies were quick to quote officials saying that the PM had got elevated structures constructed in the PM’s residence for birds to make their nest.

The serene and picturesque video clip also prompted some people to wonder if the official photographers started their day with the PM waking up and taking a morning walk. The pictures seemed to have been taken over several days, judging by the PM’s change in attire. The environmentally minded asked if it was legal to keep India’s national bird as pets.

Others were more trenchant in their criticism. The CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya tweeted, “Media blitz and image correction: Spread positive vibes. Shed negativity. Forget Covid. Ignore students. It's peacock time. Relax! Enjoy! Unlock your mind! Unwind your worries! If you don't have peacocks at home, you can always watch my video. It's free!”

In Bihar, RJD leader Shyam Rajak, who recently rejoined the party from JD(U) said, “I recall that around three years ago when two peacocks were brought to the official residence of Laluji, BJP demanded action against him under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as peacocks were endangered birds and not allowed to be kept as pets.”

“The Act has been passed by Indian Parliament and it is the duty of everyone, particularly the PM, to enforce it,” Rajak added primly as the RJD screamed ‘Double standard”.

Referring to the photoshoot as propaganda, RJD MP Manoj Jha said, “I find the photograph aesthetically wrong. Our economy is bleeding. Around 1,000 people are dying due to Covid-19 every day and there are around 70,000 fresh cases every day. At such a time, the PM has posted these photographs and video on social media. It’s like the Roman emperors laughing at the miseries of the people.”

The prime minister was also trolled on twitter for the photoshoot amid surging COVID cases and economic crisis in the country.

Here are the compilation of some of the tweets:

कोरोना संक्रमित लोगों की संख्या तीस लाख पहुँच चुकी है, पचास लाख लोगों की नौकरी पिछले महीने गई है, अस्सी लाख लोग बिहार में बाढ़ से प्रभावित है। प्रधानमंत्री मोर को चने खिला रहा है।, tweeted Hussain Haidry.

There are two ways of showing a peacock and a peahen coming face to face with a tough competitor variously disguised in a shawl, gamcha, T-shirt, kurta, dhoti, track pants, pyjama.... There is ‘The Telegraph’ way (left), and there is the ‘Deccan Herald’ way (right), churmuri tweeted.