13 September 2023, Mumbai: The recently released film “Jawan,” featuring Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, has become a platform for political criticism in India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized upon the movie to criticize the Congress party and highlight their own achievements. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) embraced the film’s message and emphasized their focus on delivering quality education.
BJP Criticizes Congress Rule
The BJP used “Jawan” as an opportunity to criticize the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014. The movie, according to the BJP, shed light on the corrupt and policy-stalled rule during the UPA era. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia shared a movie poster alongside the government’s achievements over the past nine years, thanking Shah Rukh Khan for reminding viewers of the troubled political past during the UPA’s tenure.
Themes in Jawan
The film Jawan portrays a father-son narrative, with Shah Rukh Khan playing various roles, including a soldier, a romantic hero, and a Robin Hood-like character. The movie addresses issues such as government negligence, corruption, farmer suicides, hospital tragedies, flawed military equipment, and hazardous factories near residential areas. It also encourages citizens to vote wisely.
BJP Highlighting Achievements
Gaurav Bhatia referenced scandals like CWG, 2G, and Coalgate to criticize the Congress for corruption. He emphasized that the Modi government has maintained a clean record over the past nine and a half years. Bhatia highlighted the government’s focus on transparency and integrity, mentioning achievements such as providing bulletproof jackets to soldiers, implementing the ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) scheme, and modernizing the armed forces with Rafale, Apache, and Chinook.
National Security and Response to Attacks
The BJP spokesperson asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government acted decisively and swiftly in response to the Pulwama attack, conducting Balakot airstrikes. He alleged that the UPA government rejected former Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major’s request for surgical strikes after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
Kejriwal and AAP’s Embracement of ‘Jawan’ Message
In contrast to the BJP’s criticism of the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), embraced the message of “Jawan.” Kejriwal emphasized that the AAP is the only party campaigning on the promise of delivering quality education. He quoted a line from the movie and highlighted AAP’s focus on providing high-quality education for children.