Twitter greets Rahul Gandhi 'happy birthday' with a good laugh

Even as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was celebrating his 45th birthday on Friday, microblogging site Twitter was abuzz with some funny and cheeky posts.

Gandhi was in Delhi on his birthday for the first time in many years. While scores of Congress workers celebrated the day, according to a PTI report, by bringing a 45-kg birthday cake, Twitterati decided to name the day #VishwaPappuDiwas.

Gandhi seems to be a favourite with Twitterati when it comes to making fun of politicians. And this trend only got pushed a little more after his unsuccessful 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign for the Congress. While the Bharatiya Janata Party, under Narendra Modi, was cruising ahead with a blitzkrieg of a campaign, Gandhi was seen as struggling and stuttering. 

After Narendra Modi’s landslide victory reduced the traditionally influential Congress to its weakest ever, Gandhi faced the worst of its attacks for a leadership that was tagged weak and disappointing.

The Congress vice-president’s recent comeback after a two-month sabbatical has, however, been hailed by many who see a new vigour and determination in him. His open attacks on the government, his stand against BJP’s land acquisition amendment Bill and his protests in solidarity with neglected sanitation workers in Delhi have put him back on the political map. Seen by some as a crusader for the poor, Rahul Gandhi has consistently blamed Modi for the latter’s elitist and capitalist preferences. 

Meanwhile, Modi wished Gandhi on Twitter with this post:

It is difficult to say if the latest Twitter digs on his birthday should be seen as a continuation of trust deficit among citizens, but the jokes, taglines and memes about him gave social media users a good laugh on Friday. 

Here are some of the light-hearted Twitter posts on Rahul Gandhi’s birthday: