BJP’s former spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Saturday launched a sarcastic attack on the opposition amid the ongoing political debate over Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s response to recent protests, opining that the former had ‘failed’ as he was ‘unable to be a proper dictator.’

In a video released on Instagram, Poonawalla used irony to contend that PM Modi’s conduct reflected forgiveness and restraint rather than authoritarianism. He claimed that the country’s top political leader’s decision to forgive the ones who allegedly addressed him with expletives demonstrated that he was not acting like a dictator. 

Poonawalla said in the video, “Friends, I am totally disappointed with PM Narendra Modi,” adding that the Prime Minister had ‘failed’ because he did not know how to be a dictator. 

Poonawalla refers to PM Modi’s ‘forgiveness’ remark

Poonawalla’s remarks came almost a day after PM Modi, in a video message posted late on July 31 night, said he was willing to forgive those who had used profanities against him during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests over NEET UG 2026 paper leak. The protests had also triggered demands for the resignation of the then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the controversy surrounding student issues. 

Referring to the PM’s message, Poonawalla said Modi had termed the people involved in the act 'mischievous,’ rather than taking strict action against them. He argued that such an approach was contrary to the behaviour expected from an authoritarian leader.

Shehzad attacks Rahul Gandhi, Nehru family

The former spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) then took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family, contrasting Modi’s response with what he described as the family’s history of exercising power. 

He said, “Rahul Gandhi is a descendant of Indira Gandhi, of (Jawaharlal) Nehru. Learn from him what’s real dictatorship, what’s real Emergency,” referring to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Furthermore, he referred to the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement of 2011-12 as one of the examples from the past. Additionally, he shed light on recent cases registered in Congress-ruled Kerala and Telangana over social media posts and student protests. 

Political debate escalates

Poonawalla, who was earlier associated with the Congress before joining BJP, also targeted what he called ‘left liberals,’ claiming that their expectations from the controversy had been disappointed. 

Towards the conclusion of the video message, he again addressed PM Modi and repeated his sarcastic remark that the PM had failed because he was unable to behave like a dictator.