Modi peppers SRCC speech with 'OG', 'flex' and 'Dhurandhar' in bid to connect with Gen Z

Prime Minister Narendra Modi peppered his address with Gen Z-friendly phrases such as "OG" and references to the popular film 'Dhurandhar' as he returned to Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his last speech there gained widespread traction.

Key points

• Modi remarked his 2013 speech at SRCC had "become a wave" and that, even 13-14 years afterwards, the impact of that address remained intact.
• India in 2013 was dealing with a series of challenges, including terror attacks, inflation and corruption.
• While praising the alumni, Modi further remarked, " Dhurandhar na ho lekin dhoom machai hei (They may not be the stalwarts, but they have made a splash)".
• Congress notes Modi 'rattled' by 'Chhatron ki Goonj', calls SRCC speech 'PR exercise'.
• When I came to SRCC, I presented a vision, In 2013.

While "OG" (original gangster) is slang for someone who is exceptionally authentic or old-school, "Dhurandhar" means a stalwart. "Flex" means to show off, boast or proudly display something such as wealth, status, skills or achievements.

"SRCC's alumni have been particularly special. They took the glory of the college to the global level. If I put it in your language, the alumni here are the OGs, " Modi remarked in his address at the college's centenary celebrations.

Tracing the college's evolution from a modest establishment in Daryaganj to a major educational institution, the prime minister remarked it had shaped generations and acknowledged the pride associated with its name today.

"Even today in DU, saying you are from SRCC is a flex in itself, " he remarked.

In his speech, Modi attacked his political opponents against the backdrop of a controversey over the latest economic expansion figures, saying those responsible for pushing the country into the "Fragile Five" were finding the 7.8% quarterly expansion challenging to digest.

Gen Z outreach: 45 BJP leaders from poll-bound states meet to woo youth Modi's choice of words at SRCC comes against the backdrop of a push by the BJP and its leaders to connect with younger audiences after recent Gen Z-led protests at Jantar Mantar.

While Modi himself has increasingly applied Instagram-style videos for youth-oriented messaging, BJP MPs have lately employed terms such as "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out) and "delulu" (delusional) in Parliament.

When he was the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, modi visited SRCC in 2013 as Gujarat chief minister, and his address to students gained traction, particularly in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

"India in 2013 was dealing with a series of challenges, including terror attacks, inflation and corruption. Expansion was at its lowest and inflation was at the peak, " he stated, adding that scams and corruption were rampant.

While contrasting its position in 2013 with its standing today, he additionally recalled how India was described internationally at the time, saying the country was being called a "fragile Five".

When I came to SRCC, I presented a vision, In 2013. Whatever I remarked back then was my conviction. I have always lived by those words. Dedicating my life to the nation was an emotion that took the form of words. I offered the example of a glass filled with water. Some individuals see the glass as half full. Some say it is half empty.

"I remarked there are residents who can see the glass as fully filled, half with water and half with air. It was a time when the country was lacking hope. So I remarked, 'I see the glass as fully filled', " he stated. (With inputs from PTI).

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