Make no mistake. INDIA has won

We must also highlight that Rahul Gandhi has proved to be the greatest mover in the country. He walked through the country and generated a desire in the hearts of the people for a change of regime

Ever since results of the 2024 polls have come out, the Indian media is occupied with 'justifying Modi’ project. Channels are laboriously inventing alibis to prove him not worthy of being accused of leading the Bhartiya Janata Party to debacle. Defeated BJP candidates are being accused of being careless in running their campaign. So called experts had already brought bad name to their profession by openly siding with Modi all through the elections, are pushing it to further shame by trying to shield him.

People have seen how impatient the Prime Minister has been to retain the power he has enjoyed during his 10-year rule. He overruled every dissent and crushed protests in order to pursue his cronyism. He went through the every nook and corner of the country to impress upon the people to he is the man who could steer the country to a better future. Backed by well-oiled propaganda machinery he builds up an imaginary world of prosperous yet majoritarian India. The people of India have torn the picture and suggested it be thrown into the dustbin. However, the defiant Modi has only chosen to stick to the power and is showing no respect to the mandate. His power-mongering needs some elaboration.

He should remember how he started his long campaign by Pran-Pratishtha at Ayodhya and declared that he was chosen by the God to perform this auspicious task. He led a vicious campaign against his opponents by accusing them of being anti-Hindu and anti-India. Was it not rediculous for a RSS man to accuse the nationalist Congress of being working under the inspiration of the Muslim League? He used all lies and misinformation to polarize Indians on religious lines. People of India outrightly rejected him. They even defeated him in Ayodhya and elected Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad to Lok Sabha. He is the real hero who not only wrested Ayodhya from the BJP, but also became one of the few Dalits who got them elected from a general seat. He should be credited with puncturing the narrative of end of 500-year slavery of India by erecting Shri Ram temple.

All through his campaigns, Modi tried to prove that he is the only mover in the country and none can compete with him in popularity. People will remember his abusive language and almost dirty imageries for years to come. He accused the Congress of conspiring to snatch assets of poor Hindus to surrender it to Muslims who bred vigorously. He only campaigned to project himself as an autocrat who listened to no one. His narcissism was at its peak when he repeated ' Modi ki Guarantee'. People rejected his guarantees. He used all tricks to win election. The poll strategists of the BJP were under the impression that 80-crore plus beneficiaries of 5 kg free ration a month would vote him to power. People rejected the status of a beneficiary and asserted as a citizen. This is significant in the wake of new anti-democratic trends. A nexus of rich and powerful has been conspiring to reduce citizens to the status of beneficiaries. People have expressed against this conspiracy through the results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The 2024 poll results have exhibited the might of voters. It has reinforced the long cherished claim that India is a robust democracy, the most vibrant on the planet.

People are shying away from congratulating the real winner of the polls. Undoubtedly, people are the winners. However, we should avoid abstraction and define the word in a proper context. We must differentiate between those who tried to destroy the democracy and attack Idea of India and those who stood against it. This is mischievous to declare that voters are the only winners. This is stupid to declare that voters alone have thrown a loud and authoritarian politician. No. This is not so. The people include all those who fought against authoritarianism. They include countless youtubers, bloggers and columnists who punctured Modi's narrative. Who can forget youtubers like Dhruv Rathi who resisted a compromised mainstream media? We should also not forget warriors such as Neelu Vyas who had to face the wrath of ruling people.

We should also underline the miserable collapse of mainstream media. Exit polls were the most vulgar exhibition of the nexus of anti-India elements.

We must also highlight that Rahul Gandhi has proved to be the greatest mover in the country. He walked through the country and generated a desire in the hearts of the people for a change of regime. Let there be no mistake voters have won. The declaration of voters' triumph must entail a full length explanation of how it happened. It should carry the details of all those who stood against democracy.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)