New Delhi: Videos of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi scuba diving in the waters of the Andaman Sea are winning hearts on Indian Instagram. Many in the comments call him cool, multitalented, and “PM all-rounder”.
Others are slightly confused about how to praise him. One comment declared the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the “Putin of India”.
In a series of posts and reels posted on his Instagram account starting Wednesday, Gandhi targeted the government’s ambitious Great Nicobar Project. In the caption to his first video, Gandhi wrote that the project isn’t about defence or a transhipment port.
“What it actually is: 1.5 crore trees felled. Coral reefs erased from official maps. Soldiers and tribals displaced – so one businessman can build hotels and casinos on India’s most irreplaceable ecological land,” read the caption.
The next video was a complete tonal shift—Karan Aujla’s Wavy played in the backdrop as Gandhi jumped off a ship into the water, exploring the coral reefs and natural beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. It was this reel, over 73 lakh views in nine hours, that earned Gandhi the “cool guy” title.
“Aise hi pm hona chahiye (this is how a PM should be)… healthy and educated,” read a comment. Several others argued that this won’t win Gandhi any votes. Yet others dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scuba dive like Gandhi.
“Bro after loosing 100 election,” wrote a critic, adding a laughter emoji.
Also read: The Great Nicobar project doesn’t contribute to national security. It just affects nature
Balen Shah vs Rahul Gandhi
A similar conversation is unfolding on X.
“You may like him or dislike him, but you have to give it to him: Rahul Gandhi is the COOLEST politician in the country at the moment,” wrote journalist Pranav Pradhi.
An X user named Henry Singh compared Gandhi with Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
Gandhi’s posts centred on the natural beauty and biodiversity of the islands, something many in the comments resonated with.
“We are the first generation to witness this beauty and the last that can choose to protect it,” read one such comment.