“Oscar Winning Script”: BJP's New Ad on Jantar Mantar Protest and Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation Draws Online Backlash

ON TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2026, an ad was released on the BJP's social media handle that created quite a stir on social media. The 1-minute 52-second video shows a gym scene where a trainer talks about India's development over time. The video soon went viral on social media, but not for the right reasons. Social media users criticized the video.

Many said the video was cringe, with cringe dialogues being used to imitate Gen Z references. They added that the acting in the video was too stiff. Many social media users also tried to resurface the BJP government's old video of "Modi ji ne War Rukwa Di Papa (Modi ji stopped the war, papa)" video, where students from Ukraine were brought back to India by the Modi government.

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What was in the new BJP ad?

The video showed an older gym trainer telling a group of youngsters about the situation in the past and how things have improved. The video started with a young girl in the gym saying, "Hey bro, did you go to Jantar Mantar?" They then started talking about the protest at Jantar Mantar and how there were different types of people under the same roof, including nationals, anti-nationals, and other characters. One girl said that her parents had refused to let her go to Jantar Mantar. The gym trainer then came in and asked them to start working out, saying, "Hey, political podcast, pack up. Let's go, back to workout."

One kid said, "Parents don't listen, and now you also don't listen," to which the gym trainer replied that they needed to take inspiration from the past. The children then said, "Sir, you are speaking in my dad's tone. Have you seen old India?" Another youngster added, "Bombs, explosions, terrorist attacks, corruption headlines, this and that." The trainer then said that what their parents were saying was not wrong.

He then started listing things that have improved over time, including mobile phones, the metro system, expressways connecting everything, high-speed trains, airports in smaller places, and IITs and IIMs for education. He also said, "In fact, double the amount of medical seats. It used to take the country 50 years to build this much. Two generations used to pass."

To this, the students replied, "But we are the generation to look ahead, not behind. What happened, happened." The trainer then said that the future becomes strong when the foundation is strong. "Have you ever seen a big tree without strong roots? The country is in strong hands. So take full advantage of it."

After that, the video referenced the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. When the trainer said that the country was in strong hands, the children joked, "What strong hands? If it's that strong, why give the resignation?" The trainer replied, "Resignation does not show the victory of Jantar Mantar. It shows the strength of democracy. The government has solved all the problems so that you can look ahead. Come on, let's make a country together and a body too."

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BJP ad posted on X and netizens' reaction

The post was published on the social media platform X with the caption, "Past vs Present: The Real Talk. India of the past… scams, blasts, and instability. India of today… a smartphone in hand, metro, expressways, new airports, and the rapid expansion of IIT, IIM, AIIMS. Development stalled for decades, now racing ahead at full speed. As the country moves forward under strong leadership, seize this opportunity and focus on your career. And yes… someone's resignation is not one person's 'personal victory,' but a symbol of democracy's strength. The government is continuously working to address challenges and build a better future for the youth. Keep your focus on your future… because Strong India = Stronger Future."

Many people reacted on social media, calling the video cringe and the Gen Z references weird. Many questioned who was making such cringe content for the BJP. One user wrote, "I'm sure we're going to see a flood of memes based on this cringey shitshow ad. I'm looking forward to it." Another wrote, "This ad will be another War Rukwa Di Papa……," referring to the old ad related to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Some also commented on the acting in the video. One wrote, "Wah Modiji Wah! Definitely Oscar-winning script & performance." Another said, "BJP is saying in the same video there were anti-nationals at Jantar Mantar. Then at the end, it's saying—Resignation is the strength of democracy.... Brother, what exactly do you want to say?? Whose nonsense idea was this…" A third person wrote, "Time to fire your social media agency. Absolute cringe this ad is. Zero, ZERO Gen Z will connect to it."

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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