On Monday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the Tricolour at the Red Fort and addressed the nation on its 70th Independence Day.
Dressed in a short-sleeved white kurta and a turban streaked in shades of pink, red and saffron, Modi slammed the terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated that India would not bow before terrorism.
Other highlights of Modi’s lengthy speech included updates on his administration’s record in bringing electricity and toilets to villages, and controlling leakages in delivering subsidies in welfare reform schemes.
Once again eschewing the bulletproof enclosure used by some of his predecessors, Modi spoke on the state of the Indian economy, renewable energy and his government’s efforts at curtailing price inflation to 6%.
He also made two announcements on the occasion – a 20% increase in the pension of freedom fighters and the government’s decision to bear Rs 1 lakh medical costs for poor families.
For the Twitterati, the speech checked all the expected boxes and it quickly dismissed the address as boring and soporific.
"Per drop, more crop."
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) August 15, 2016
"Reform, perform, transform."
I strongly suspect that Modi speech has been written by T Rajendar.
Weakest Modi speech so far. Tired, beleaguered, rambling. His Silence spoke loud.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) August 15, 2016
What a great speech by Modi, it helped me sleep for another hour
— सेंटीMental (@clumsy_tweeter) August 15, 2016
Another country would have passed and implemented major reforms in the time Modi is taking to deliver his speech
— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) August 15, 2016
Somebody pls remind Modi that it is #IndependenceDayIndia speech, not UP & Punjab election rally. Have patience Mr. PM, u will get to speak.
— Free Wheeler (@RoadHound) August 15, 2016
Evidently nobody in government/BJP who can give PM frank feedback: "I'm sorry sir, but this speech will put even Manmohan Singh to sleep."
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) August 15, 2016
Wow this is the longest and most boring BJP ad on TV since last year's I-Day speech
— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) August 15, 2016
During the live broadcast, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was seen seated in the audience, with his head bowed and his eyes closed. Social media trolled the Aam Aadmi Party chief for having been "caught sleeping" on camera.
kejriwal is not sleeping,its part of #Vipassna ~AAptards
— Karthik Dwibhashyam (@dkarthiks) August 15, 2016
Azad,not impressed by Modi speech.nehru not mentioned ~INC https://t.co/2gMUNzo13V
Doing Moditation at Red Fort pic.twitter.com/B0wcqJQO85
— Arvind Kejriwal (@TrollKejri) August 15, 2016
In India, a Google doodle paid homage to India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic Tryst with Destiny speech in the Parliament House before the Indian Constituent Assembly on August 15, 1947.