Image traps: Modi should alter style, Rahul substance

News channels always face a ‘dharam sankat’ when Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi speak at the same time. Whereas Mr Gandhi addressed students from a management institute in Mumbai, the Prime Minister’s canvas was much bigger: He was launching his ‘Start up India’ initiative from Vigyan Bhavan. In the 2014 election campaign, for example, Mr Modi promised ‘achhe din’, including creating 50 million jobs for young Indians. Post-script: While the Prime Minister’s spin doctors suggest that ‘Start up India’ took off only in May 2014 after the NDA victory and Rahul Gandhi’s supporters seek to deny any credit to Mr Modi, the truth may well lie somewhere in between. While Mr Modi’s “can do” messaging resonates powerfully, the young India story’s origins began with the unleashing of the “animal spirits” of the economy by a certain Dr Manmohan Singh.