63 percent popularity.

The Mood of the Nation poll has once again highlighted the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as "Close to 63 percent rate his performance between good and outstanding," India Today. "Close to 58% of respondents are very satisfied or satisfied with the performance of his government." Less than one year back so many people were dying of coronavirus that cremation grounds could not cope. On 22 April 2021, Jitender Singh Shunty said that "60 bodies had been cremated at the makeshift facility in the parking lot and 15 others were still waiting," Reuters. "Children who are 5 years old, 15 years old, 25 years old are being cremated. Newlyweds are being cremated. It is difficult to watch," said a teary-eyed Shunty. 63% popularity, so who cares. "Indians have expressed shock and anger after a junior health minister told parliament that no Covid deaths had been reported due to oxygen shortages," BBC. "Hospitals across the country ran out of oxygen in April and May during a deadly second wave - there were daily reports of people dying from lack of oxygen." 63% popularity, so who cares. In the 5-year period between 2015-16 and 2020-21, the annual income of the poorest 20% fell by 53%, income of the 20% in the lower middle category fell by 32%, while the income of the richest 20% rose by a whopping 39%, TIE. 63% popularity, so who cares. "India's GDP - at a high of 7-8% when Mr Modi took office - had fallen to its lowest in a decade - 3.1% - by the fourth quarter of 2019-20," BBC. "Unemployment climbed to a 45-year high - 6.1% - in 2017-18," and "more than 75 million Indians have plunged back into poverty." "While one in five persons above the age of 15 was unemployed during April-June 2020, the unemployment rate among the 15-29-year-olds was 34.7 percent -- every third person in the 15-29 age group was unemployed during the same period," wrote Prof Himanshu. "At every town square, I met young men and women, all seemingly unemployed and disengaged from economic activity, wrote Vivan Marwaha in October 2021. And yet, nearly 40% of those aged 18-35 years voted for Modi. Because he speaks in Hindi even when abroad. So, 63% popularity is partly due to ignorance of English. Congress leader P Chidambaram enumerates 12 points of what is wrong with the economy, and yet "the Modi government has not been called to bear the political price", he laments. What explains 63% popularity? "It is curious that the Modi government openly lies -- lies that are open and blatant," The Print. "People are expected to believe as true what is clearly false, and also take at face value what is mutually contradictory statements." "What's happening here is a plain assertion of power." That power is also asserted through apps like Tek Fog which "is used by political operatives affiliated with the ruling party to artificially inflate the popularity of the party, harass its critics and manipulate public perceptions at scale across major social media platforms", The Wire. Those who are not 63% try to escape and may end up frozen to death at the border between the US and Canada, NDTV. Including a baby. But then, 63% popularity, so who cares?