The term ‘Urban Naxal’, referred to as ‘Dimagi Naxal’, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech has now become the focus of a BJP-led social media campaign. Several state units of the party are creating memes around the term using popular scenes and characters from films and web series. These include Munna Bhaiya and Kaleen Bhaiya from Mirzapur, along with scenes from KGF and Singham. However, the campaign has also drawn criticism and sparked reactions on social media.
BJP’s social media teams join the meme war
The campaign gained momentum on August 26, when BJP Chhattisgarh posted ‘Avengers Assemble’, calling on other state units to join in. Soon after, BJP’s social media handles from several states began sharing a series of memes.
The posts use familiar film and web-series characters to convey political messages. Through this campaign, the BJP appears to be using popular internet culture and film references to connect with younger audiences, particularly Gen Z.
From Munna Bhaiya’s slap to ‘Singham’
One of the most discussed memes features Munna Bhaiya from Mirzapur. The scene shows him slapping a student, who is portrayed by the BJP as an ‘intellectual Naxal’. Through the post, the Chhattisgarh BJP said that instead of becoming an ‘intellectual Naxal’, people should contribute to the country’s progress.
‘Singham’ scene gets a political twist
The BJP then used a scene from Singham in which Ajay Devgn’s character beats up a goon. The scene was presented as the ‘Chhattisgarh-style’ treatment of ‘intellectual Naxals’.
Kaleen Bhaiya and ‘Taarak Mehta’ also feature
The Delhi BJP joined the campaign with a scene featuring Kaleen Bhaiya from Mirzapur. Meanwhile, the Goa BJP gave a political spin to a scene from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
KGF meme draws the most criticism
The BJP Karnataka’s meme featuring a scene from KGF attracted the most attention on social media. In the scene, Rocky and his associates are shown firing at their opponents from a hill. The BJP edited the sequence to depict ‘urban Naxals’ as opponents and used it to convey that the campaign against them would continue with full force.
The post drew criticism from several social media users, who accused the BJP of using violent imagery in political messaging. Some questioned whether violent scenes from films were appropriate for reaching out to young audiences, particularly when the campaign itself was aimed at Gen Z.
Opposition questions BJP’s campaign
Opposition parties and several social media users also criticised the BJP’s meme campaign. One user argued that in a democracy, ideas should be challenged with ideas rather than imagery associated with bullets and violence.
Yashaswini Raje Singh, daughter of former BJP MLA Vikram Singh, also questioned the campaign. She alleged that the BJP had contributed to normalising violent political rhetoric in the country.
State units amplify each other’s memes
The BJP’s social media campaign has followed a coordinated pattern in recent days. One state unit posts a meme targeting ‘intellectual Naxals’, another engages with or reposts it, while a third adds another film or web-series reference.
According to a member associated with the BJP IT cell, the aim is to activate the social media networks of different state units at the same time. This helps posts originating in one state reach audiences in other states as well, allowing the party’s political messaging to reach a wider audience.
Preparations to expand the campaign on Instagram as well
This BJP campaign is not going to be limited to X. According to reports, the party’s social media team’s next focus is Instagram, where there is a large presence of Gen Z. The party’s strategy is to reach more youth by connecting viral scenes from popular films and pop culture with political messages. A BJP leader has described this campaign as just a ‘trailer’ for now.
