How PM Modi has reframed ‘400 paar’: Rallying point to ‘shield’ for OBCs, SCs and STs

On April 24 in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “They ask me why 400 paar? I reply – because of your stratagems in the states. Daliton ke, Advisaiyon ke, OBCs ke aarakshan chori karne ka jo khel khel rahe ho. Use lootne ka khel khel rahe ho. Aapke ye khel band karne ke liye, hamesha ke liye band karne ke liye, aapke mansoobon ko hamesha hamesha taala lagaane ke liye Modi ko 400 paar chahiye (You are playing games to steal the reservation of Dalits, tribals and OBCs. You are trying to loot them. To stop this game of yours for ever, and to put a lock on your intentions, Modi wants 400 paar).

A scrutiny of about 60 speeches by the Prime Minister from March 16 to April 25 shows that this latest framing of “400 paar,” after the first phase of elections, marks a shift from the earlier refrain. It also comes after Opposition allegations that 400 plus will be weaponised to change the Constitution.

Earlier, the BJP’s 400 plus was more a triumphalist assertion – that people were so satisfied with the performance of the government at the Centre that they wanted the NDA to get many more seats. In fact, an illustrative example came during his speech in Amroha on April 19 that captured this sentiment. Modi said that people were asking how he would cross 400, as the BJP had saturated many states with sweeps in 2019.

“I tell them about UP, from where I am an MP. For seven years, Yogi ji’s government has been here. In seven years, he has shown what is governance and what is law and order. So, I say that under Yogi ji in UP, the record of 2014 and 2019 will be broken, and UP will give a record mandate.”

Since the first phase ended on April 19, the first mention of “400 paar” came about a dozen rallies later on April