New Delhi: India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, is back. Not in parliamentary debates, but on social media platform X, with an AI twist. And he’s here to blame himself for everything, from potholes to policy holes. He makes a point of getting ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a post with over 800 shares this week, Nehru 2.0 put up a picture of himself with a subdued PM and Finance Minister, captioned: “I ordered Narendra and Nirmala to charge GST on health insurance. Please don’t blame those innocents.”
The account, Jawaharlal Nehru (Satire), under the handle @The_Nehru, is making waves on social media with its sharp satirical takes. Its tagline reads: “First PM of Independent India | Not letting the present PM work.”
Run by a former BJP supporter—a man in his 20s who refuses to reveal his identity—it blends satire, history, news, and AI creativity into a potent mix.
The account started in 2021 as ‘Gems of Modi’, sharing memes and reposts with limited reach. Everything changed during the winter session of Parliament when the admin renamed it on 16 December and shifted to Nehru-themed parody. Within eight days, its followers had grown from 1.6K to 10K, and by 31 December, the count reached 17.8K. Posts now regularly get thousands of likes and hundreds of shares.
Narendra couldn’t start the bullet train in India because I stopped him from showing the green flag to the train! 🥲 https://t.co/aEn4MjF0FQ pic.twitter.com/1nAYgcKcRR
— Jawaharlal Nehru (Satire) (@The_Nehru) December 30, 2024
For the creator, the page is “a moral compass” for politicians and “comedy” for the public.
“It’s not right to keep blaming the past when we can focus on improving the present. Politicians need to stop the blame-game and take responsibility; otherwise, as a nation, we’re heading towards doom,” he told ThePrint.
Satire is being reinvented on social media through parody accounts of historical figures, politicians, and even divine beings. Years ago, the parody account @TheTweetOfGod gave God a sarcastic voice. Now, the likes of the Mughals and Mahatma Gandhi have joined the trend on platforms like X and Instagram—whether they’d approve or not. These accounts go beyond traditional memes, delivering sharper humour tied to current events.
AI has pushed this further, making satire more visual, dynamic, and tailored. Political parties have jumped in too. Their IT cells churn out AI-generated content, from late former PM Manmohan Singh steering a speedboat through turbulent seas to DMK’s Karunanidhi ‘resurrected’ to give speeches.
Writer, filmmaker, and artist Anurag Minus Verma describes this trend as an evolution of Instagram’s meme culture.
“Most trends today stem from Instagram’s meme page universe, where AI-generated jokes have become another feature of what’s now called shitposting,” he said. “Political parties have jumped on this bandwagon, hiring people to create relatable memes based on current trends. That’s why we see political parties roasting each other with AI-generated videos on social media. Whether it’s funny or satirical is up to debate, but it’s undeniably dystopian.”
For @The_Nehru, the shift to parody was inspired by the winter session debates and Grok, X’s AI chatbot.
“I tried using Grok newly and got to know the features. Then, I started testing during the Parliament session when the Nehru blaming started,” he said.
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AI Nehru takes the mic
A heated parliamentary debate on the Constitution and BR Ambedkar earlier this month inspired @The_Nehru to shift from posting memes to reimagining Jawaharlal Nehru as a social media commentator making stinging observations.
It started on 18 December when Home Minister Amit Shah said using Ambedkar’s name had become a “fashion”, causing an outcry from the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed with an X post accusing Congress of mistreating Ambedkar, stating, “Pandit Nehru campaigned against him.”
The JLN parody account shot back that same day: “Son, Narendra, when will you stand on your feet?”
Since then, @The_Nehru has been on a satirical spree, posting 3-4 times daily.
“The idea is to target the statements of these politicians in a sarcastic way,” he said, adding that he tracks the news cycle closely for fodder.
From GST and the falling rupee to aid to Bangladesh and even the India-Australia Test match—the parody account has delivered a steady stream of sharp, witty commentary. There’s also plenty of good old-fashioned lampooning, along with striking visuals and occasional appearances by Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
In one post, Nehru is shown hugging a weeping Modi, with an equally biting caption about a missing invitation to Donald Trump’s swearing-in as US President. “Oh, it’s okay, son. Jaishankar will surely bring the invitation. Now, don’t cry,” it says.
Another shows him berating External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for failing to secure an invitation to Trump’s oath ceremony for Modi, who stands behind, apparently sulking.
Yesterday, I personally called Jaishankar and reprimanded him for not securing an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, as Narendra had been crying all day. He apologized and agreed to visit the U.S. to arrange an invitation for Narendra. Best wishes! 😍 https://t.co/uLPKiTsARb pic.twitter.com/PE8m5y1sD2
— Jawaharlal Nehru (Satire) (@The_Nehru) December 24, 2024
GST has also been a frequent target, with both the PM and FM taking hits. After the news of GST on popcorn, the account posted an image of Nehru writing on a paper while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stood deferentially beside him. The caption read: “Today I ordered Nirmala to impose GST on popcorn. Don’t worry, Narendra. I will cover for you.”
The post received 2.9 thousand retweets and 196 comments, with many calling it “hilarious”.
Today I ordered Nirmala to impose GST on popcorn. Don’t worry Narendra, I will cover for you 🥰 pic.twitter.com/pSYRm1PHjn
— Jawaharlal Nehru (Satire) (@The_Nehru) December 21, 2024
The creator handles the account by himself, using only Grok as his assistant.
“[I started using AI more on JLN] after the recent debate on different rates of GST on popcorn. I thought it would be a potential opportunity for mass reach by using AI with sarcasm,” he said.
But the account also attracts criticism, mostly aimed at Nehru rather than the admin. It’s become a place to air historical grievances with a humorous spin. Some tag Nehru’s photos with Edwina Mountbatten, reviving rumours about their relationship. Others asked why Nehru didn’t attend Manmohan Singh’s funeral.
One comment read: “Nehru ji, your ghost missed Manmohan Singh’s funeral. Are you tired after a hot bath in hell? For every action, there is a reaction.”
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A political souring
The admin was once a staunch BJP supporter. Now, he says he feels betrayed and is channelling his frustration into satire.
“I was a BJP supporter earlier, but due to the bad policies and increase in the suffering of the middle class. I stopped supporting the BJP,” he said. “Now, I don’t support any party. Instead, I support individuals based on merit who can be the true voice of the people.”
While @The_Nehru is reluctant to share details about his education or background, he has a laundry list of grievances he’s passionate about.
His frustrations are specific: over-taxation (income tax and GST), reduced purchasing power, laws passed without proper consultation—like the farm laws—unemployment, lack of reforms in education and agriculture, and freebie schemes like Ladli Behna, which he sees as economically unsound.
He hopes his account can push politicians toward “accountability” and shift the conversation. But not everyone is convinced satire can do that.
Satirist and writer, Urvish Kothari says that satire can’t be used to change the world. It can only create ripples.
The JLN admin, though new to the satire world, is more optimistic. He’s confident that commentary tied to current issues can have an impact. And Nehru 2.0 will keep speaking—as long as there’s an audience.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
The truth is out… No matter whatever parody any ingenuity can produce will have minimal effect on Indians who love Bharat… Why doesn’t this ingenuity put Manmohan or Sonia in place of Nehru… It’s a challenge… Let’s see if it is possible…