Play

“Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land

And don’t criticise, what you can’t understand.

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command.

Your old road is rapidly agin’.

Please get out of the new one

If you can’t lend your hand,

For the times they are a-changin’.” — Bob Dylan

Many will be familiar with these lyrics from the popular Bob Dylan song, without the slight modification. But when Prime Minister Narendra Modi recites them in full before a Coldplay concert in Mumbai on Saturday, the stage is set for a slightly strange and surreal evening.

Addressing a crowd of 80,000 via video conference, Modi not only quoted the Nobel Laureate, because he – along with Norah Jones, Chris Martin and AR Rahman are heroes of the youth – but also poked fun at his own singing, linking it to demonetisation.

“You have been smart in asking me to only address the gathering, and not sing,” he said. “Else, I am pretty sure your audience would be asking you for their money back. And that too in 100 rupee notes.”

He went on to extol the virtues of youth. “I always look forward to being among young people. It refreshes and re-energises me. You bring an energy that is unparalleled,” Modi said, and concluded with great hope, “We are diamonds taking shape.”

On Twitter, the opposition resorted to poor puns to express displeasure.

The cold play while the poor suffer! — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 19, 2016

The rest made their own jokes.

Wow. The country's on the brink of chaos and people are all like, "OMG Modi said 'I won't come between you and Coldplay -- so cool!" — Suprateek Chatterjee (@SupraMario) November 20, 2016

Whoa. Seriously Modi addressed crowd at Coldplay concert? This is freaking embarrassing. — Aditi Mittal (@awryaditi) November 20, 2016

Since @narendramodi ji is such a fan of quoting Bob Dylan lyrics, here's a Dylan tune specially for him: pic.twitter.com/7jW8iogK7z — Nehr-who? (@threeinchfooll) November 19, 2016

Bob Dylan when he heard Modi has quoted him pic.twitter.com/iNKDVB0v8f — Ajay Singh (@ajaxsingh) November 19, 2016

if modi wants my vote in 2019 he should say 'coldplay is shit' and drop the mic. — siddharth (@Punkhaa) November 19, 2016

Modi missing parliament but addressing a Coldplay concert while the country is in chaos, is really a cold heartless play. — SamSays (@samjawed65) November 19, 2016

Coldplay: "When you try your best but you don't succeed"

Modi Ji: Haha, waha bank ke bahar logo ka bhi yehi haal hai — Gautam (@gautamverma23) November 19, 2016

*Crowd waiting for Coldplay*

*Lights go out*

*Modi appears*



"Mitron. SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKAS!!!!"



*An ATM on stage.*

*Crowd goes wild.* — Rameez (@Sychlops) November 19, 2016