The recent Indian Express article by Rahul Gandhi is making waves online. However, not all the waves are helping him reach the crescendo of “literati”! Netizens are drowning MP Rahul Gandhi in spit and critique accompanied by chants of “plagiarism.”
The article uses three basic concepts. First, it discusses the pre-independence Bharat and the East India Company’s economic chokehold on it! Then, it talks of business monopoly without naming RaGa’s favorite beating posts in election rallies. And lastly, it proposes a “New Deal” for Bharat’s business landscape. However, the article has sparked a fresh wave of controversy – not over the ideas themselves, but for allegedly recycling past works. Let’s talk!
Article By Rahul Gandhi – Political Rhetoric or Recycled Thought?
Rahul Gandhi’s article is heavy with his well-known anti-monopoly stance. It mostly rehashes his political rally rhetoric against conglomerate giants while alleging monopolistic control. In the article, RaGa goes after the government by alleging that it supports one business at the expense of all the others. However, this rhetoric is a regurgitated word salad of what RaGa presents to the public at every election rally.
However, the rest of the article drew more than applause! Netizens saw in it a verbatim echo of earlier thoughts of other writers and economists. In 2009, Rajiv Chandrashekhar wrote that the nation needed to “support diverse businesses, not just a few giants.” The blog was written to address the disparity observed during the UPA era!
Hence, the “New Deal” that Rahul Gandhi refers to was first coined by Franklin Roosevelt’s economist Mr. chase to solve America’s depression.
later. the phrase was used by Rajeev Chandrashekhar to object to chokeholds encouraged via “license raaj” during UPA times.
However, this exposed genesis of the “New Deal” does not benefit the INDI Alliance and Team RaGa. It only showcases the UPA as the true beneficiary of Oligarchy and chokeholds in Bharat!
Moreover, a digital whistleblower named Pamaja called a spade by its name. She directly labeled it as “plagiarism”! She called the entire write a up an smartly copied AI uplifted work that combined Chapter 13 of “Edmond Burke on India.” Additionally, she states that the article’s structure and theme closely mirror Burke’s critique of corporate dominance in colonial India.
This is Plagiarism, just read two lines and realized this article is a smartly copied view of Chapter 13—Edmond Burke on India -published online by Cambridge University Press on 05 December 2012 and later improved by one of the AI platforms. There is no need to read further.…
— Padmaja 🇮🇳 (@prettypadmaja) November 6, 2024
This parallel didn’t go unnoticed by the right wing; within hours of the article’s publication, they took to social media to accuse Rahul of dressing up old ideas with a fresh coat of populist sentiment.
Many are alleging that I plagiarised my article from Chapter 13—Edmond Burke on India -published by Cambridge University Press in 2012.
It is true that I lifted all the ideas of my article from this chapter. But I later used AI to improve the article. So it is not plagiarism. https://t.co/4PUBKUQV5j
— Rahul Gandhi (Parody) (@RahuGandhi_INC) November 7, 2024
Netizens and academics alike are buzzing with claims that his thoughts bear uncanny similarities to Edmond Burke on India – Chapter 13 published in 2012 by Cambridge and Rajeev Chandrashekhar’s 2009 article on a “New Deal.” Critics are questioning if Rahul Gandhi’s article is, at best, a hodgepodge of repurposed ideas or, at worst, a cleverly disguised “uplifted” work.
The AI Twist Amid Calls of Plagiarism
“We didn’t lose our freedom to another nation; we lost it to a monopolistic corporation.”
Drawing parallels between the ‘East India Company’ and the Adani Group, LoP @RahulGandhi Ji articulates in this article how a monopolistic group is rising at the expense of others with the… pic.twitter.com/NR02HiW8it
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) November 6, 2024
The article’s debacle points to an interesting irony. Technology, which may have assisted Team RaGa in composing the piece, also acted as a swift expose. Advanced AI algorithms along with an eagle eye for details may have helped critics identify, match, and call out recycled phrases from past works. Thus, what is projected by CON party loyalists like Rajdeep Sardesai and Dr. Shama Mohamed as unique has ended up in the controversy of AI-assisted smart regurgitation of old ideas.
Hence, RaGa’s attempt to present a powerful critique of monopolistic practices ended up, for some, as a case study of the ease with which technology can detect—and dismantle—claims of originality.
Those who sell hatred have no right to lecture on Indian pride and history. @RahulGandhi ’s ignorance about Bharat’s rich heritage and his colonial mindset have crossed all limits.
If you claim to ‘uplift’ the nation, stop insulting Bharat Mata and learn about true Indian heroes… pic.twitter.com/GedmGkYw1r
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) November 6, 2024
On one hand, Rahul Gandhi’s article received applause from the likes of Rajdeep Sardesai, who lauded its “depth and insight.” On the other hand, BJP’s Jyotiraditya Scindia critiqued it as a writing influenced by entitlement and delusions of grandeur.
Plagiarized new deal from my article in 2009 and from others too? a very diverse plagiarism strategy @RahulGandhi ? 😂😂
Imitation is not flattery – but just embarassing! #TruthAboutCorruptCong#CongPoliticsOfLies https://t.co/AqOtISECQA
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) November 7, 2024
Rajeev Chandrashekhar was also quick to counter RaGa hitting out with a mix of sarcasm and disappointment. He implied that Rahul Gandhi’s plagiarism sans due citation or credit should be embarrassing for all involved in this piece of writing. For those who found the article uninspired, it wasn’t about its critique of monopolies but about its perceived lack of fresh thought.
Closing Thoughts: Did Rahul Gandhi’s Inspiration Cross Lines?
So @RahulGandhi plagiarized the article and then used AI to make a few changes.
Daala @sardesairajdeep promoted his master's article! pic.twitter.com/PkWd7SqEHA
— Arun Pudur (@arunpudur) November 6, 2024
Plagiarism or just well-intentioned repurposing? No one knows for sure. However, the lack of due credit is obvious. And netizens are having a field day lecturing Rahul Gandhi and his team. While Rahul Gandhi’s article strives to speak for small businesses and challenge monopolistic powers, the irony is that technology exposed it as a potential copy-paste affair. Consequently, it has left both critics and supporters debating: at what point does inspiration cross into imitation?