- 14 hours ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gift of Melody toffee to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Italy has sparked a massive political war.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shakil.
00:03The Modi Melony, or should I say Melody moment,
00:07has turned a simple diplomatic gesture into a full-blown internet sensation.
00:13While supporters saw it as soft diplomacy with a human touch,
00:18the opposition dismissed it as misplaced optics
00:21and even cringe amidst economic concerns back home.
00:26A simple toffee, a viral moment and now a political debate,
00:30before I bring in the guests, here's what happened today.
00:37A drive-through room,
00:42dinner,
00:45tosti and diplomacy,
00:48and then the moment that stole the internet.
00:52Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift, a very, very good toffee.
01:02A casual exchange, a packet full of melodies,
01:06and suddenly diplomacy turned deliciously viral.
01:13Like millions of Indians,
01:16the Prime Minister too seems to believe in kuchh meeta ho jaye.
01:19During their meeting, the Prime Minister gifted the Italian Prime Minister a packet of Melody Chocolates.
01:26Georgia Melony posted the clip online,
01:28and social media did the rest.
01:40Within minutes, the internet revived the famous hashtag Melody meme universe.
01:46A playful blend of Melony and Modi that has trended repeatedly whenever the two leaders meet.
01:52And then came the perfect brand punchline.
01:57Even the Mumbai-based Parley products jumped into the frenzy.
02:01Posting the clip with a caption,
02:03sweetening relationships since 1983.
02:07Prime Minister Modi wrote us a gift, a very, very good topic.
02:13Mad.
02:16But what was a sweet treat for fans soon became a bitter pill for the opposition.
02:22Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the Prime Minister,
02:26saying an economic storm is raging over our heads
02:30and the Prime Minister is busy distributing candies in Italy.
02:47Congress President Khargetu sharpened his attack,
02:50accusing the government of making people listen to the melody of speeches
02:54while battling inflation, unemployment and economic stress.
03:00Other opposition leaders went even further,
03:02branding the moment Cringe Pro Max.
03:06He's made a mockery of the position of the Prime Minister.
03:10What is this business of distributing melodies?
03:12What, Melony and Modi is equal to melody?
03:15What is it?
03:16What are you trying to do?
03:18It's a responsible institution.
03:20Prime Minister's office is not a joke.
03:22Please don't reduce it to be a joke.
03:23In my opinion, there's no good impression.
03:38Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift, a very, very good toffee.
03:44Mad.
03:47The BJP, however, hit back instantly.
03:51Party leaders defended the gesture,
03:53saying a little sweetness only strengthens diplomacy.
03:58Rahul Gandhi and Congress Party are not
04:00mohabbat ki dukaan,
04:01they are nafrat ke bhaijaan,
04:02they are dhanki ke bhaijaan,
04:04they are apshabd and gali galoj ke bhaijaan.
04:06The language used by Rahul Gandhi against the Prime Minister,
04:09it smacks of his sanska.
04:15Politics aside,
04:17the Modi-Melony meet is not just about meme games.
04:20The meet carries serious strategic weight,
04:23from trade and technology
04:25to AI defense, clean energy, innovation and space cooperation.
04:30Both nations are looking to deepen ties
04:33under the India-Italy Joint Strategic Action Plan.
04:35From design and develop in India and Italy
04:41and deliver for the world ke siddhant par aagye badhenge.
04:47Fashion se lhe kar fintech tuk,
04:51leather se lhe kar logistic tuk,
04:54mobility se lhe kar manufacturing tuk,
04:57har kshetra mein hum apni taakataon ko jod kar
05:04puri manota ki bharai ke liye kaam kareenge.
05:10And as the Italian Prime Minister herself put it in Hindi,
05:15parishram,
05:16that is hard work that both countries' hope
05:18will translate into stronger partnerships
05:20and bigger opportunities.
05:24Parishram,
05:24which means hard work,
05:27constant commitment,
05:28fatigue,
05:29a word which I know is very often used in India.
05:33And it is often used in a very popular way of saying,
05:40parishram hi safalta ki kun jiyei,
05:44which means tough work is the key to success.
05:48And we are used to build our relations in this way,
05:52with a hard work which becomes success at the end.
05:54Thank you very much.
05:55Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift.
05:58To some it was optics.
05:59To others,
06:01smart diplomacy with a human touch.
06:03But in modern politics,
06:05sometimes one small toffee can create more buzz
06:09than a hundred page policy document.
06:12And maybe that's the Modi masterstroke.
06:17Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift,
06:20a very,
06:21very good toffee.
06:23Mad.
06:32And some breaking news now.
06:34Rahul Gandhi has now upped the ante over melody moment.
06:38Rahul Gandhi has said,
06:39Modi ji,
06:40your melody reel is an insult to every Indian
06:42and to their pain.
06:44Rahul Gandhi saying that economic storm
06:46isn't coming in India.
06:48And Prime Minister Modi has said,
06:49don't buy gold and use fuel judiciously.
06:53And he himself is abroad,
06:56giving melody to Italian Prime Minister.
07:00Listen in to what Rahul Gandhi said.
07:02In India,
07:03there is a flood of oil and petrol and fuel,
07:08there will be an air pollution,
07:10and fuel fuel coming in the air.
07:11There will be an air pollution,
07:13a fertilizer will be reduced,
07:15and a fertilizer will be broken,
07:18while the people are affected.
07:20We have a lot of air pollution,
07:23and we have a lot of air pollution.
07:38This is an insult to the people of India.
07:41This reel that the Prime Minister has made is an insult to the people of India and what
07:45they're suffering.
07:58Ambassador, I'm going to begin with you.
08:00The Congress is seeing this as an insult.
08:02The BJP says that a sweet moment certainly adds heft to diplomacy because under Prime
08:10Minister Narendra Modi, diplomacy has also been very personality driven.
08:14How do you look at that moment in Italy?
08:19Well, I think that the basic and fundamental job of diplomacy is to make relationships
08:27harmonious with the countries and melodious, so to say, and with this kind of thing, what
08:34we see with Italy now is driven by essentially, in my view, by the three things.
08:40One is communication, the second is complementarity, and third is connectivity.
08:45These are very important things.
08:48What we are focusing basically is something which is a side-connected, basically.
08:54This is the two leaders who have such an chemistry, who are able to appreciate, who have taken
09:00the relationship from 2023 onwards now to a special strategic partnership, where there
09:07is a lot of synergy in different parts, whether it is IMEC corridor or in the Indo-Pacific or
09:12our outreach to the Mediterranean.
09:14So there are strategic dimensions to that.
09:17So therefore, getting totally embroiled into this kind of trolling, I think, is unwarranted.
09:26But we have to have a longer perspective, a deeper perspective about the things.
09:31Okay.
09:32Of course, it makes sense for the political leaders to talk in a different way.
09:37That's up to them.
09:41So I think we should look at it from that.
09:47And the outcomes and the results going forward are going to provide the kind of things that
09:53we are going to work together with Italy, which is an important country.
09:57It's the fourth largest economic partner in the European Union.
10:01And this is a visit which has taken place after India and Europe signed this EU FTA, free
10:06trade agreement.
10:07So it makes sense to talk to people, to industry, to businesses, to technology providers to come
10:15here.
10:15I think that's the basic purpose of the visitors.
10:18But when two leaders meet, I mean, there is always, if you have a personal rapport with
10:23certain leaders, then you can easily do much more.
10:25Today, I must tell you that the just last sentence, and that is that today, the basic business
10:33of diplomacy is done at the highest level.
10:36And when the two leaders or any leader for that matter are able to talk to each other,
10:40it makes life much more easier in getting things done.
10:44Okay.
10:44Dr. Ajoy Kumar, that moment aside, is the Congress not looking at the big picture?
10:51You know, if we were to give those certain numbers, remittances alone from Italy has jumped
10:58to almost 32.8% over 2024, with India ranking second in outward remittance from Italy.
11:06So that's what we are looking at.
11:07Italy ranks 19th in FDI inflows into India.
11:11When we look at the big picture, shouldn't we be looking at the MOUs, the other achievements
11:16as well, which have been certainly the big takeaways of this visit?
11:23First question, Maria, is, I saw the, you know, the Melody packet.
11:29What was disturbing to me was that the Prime Minister packed a packet of Melody toffees and
11:36took it to Italy.
11:37That's actually quite, you know, zapped me out because Melody is not available in Italy.
11:42So the Prime Minister packing his bag, putting it to give it to Melody is, is too much of
11:49a, you know, I mean, sorry to the ambassador and to steal his thunder, but it's, it's, it's
11:56intriguing.
11:57And I would like to know the mystery that, you know, the Prime Minister, does he pack
12:01a packet of Melody?
12:02Is that diplomacy?
12:03Okay, so should we, should we take that response, response first?
12:08Opening response also from Sanju Verma.
12:10So, Dr. Ajay Kumar's primary concern is how did Prime Minister Modi pack that packet of
12:17Melody with him and he took it from India to Rome.
12:22So, that is the primary concern.
12:24So, let's address that.
12:2530 seconds to you, Ms. Verma.
12:27And then I go back to Ajay Kumar.
12:30You know, Maria, I would like to borrow the phrase used by Ajay Kumar, stealing the thunder.
12:37I think Prime Minister Modi, Prime Minister, am I audible?
12:41Yes, ma'am, go ahead.
12:42Yes.
12:43So, taking off from what Ajay Kumar said, you know, stealing the thunder.
12:48Yes, indeed, Prime Minister Modi and Georgia Melody have stolen the thunder right from under
12:55Rahmi Gandhi's nose.
12:56And, you know, this entire cabal, the other side, the Darbari ecosystem talking of how Narengar
13:02Modi gaddaan hai, you know, come on.
13:04Diplomacy is about signing MOUs, yes.
13:07Diplomacy is about energy security, maritime security, defense cooperation, strategic affairs
13:12cooperation, bilateral commerce.
13:14Because, indeed, diplomacy, Maria, is also about something called, something called personal
13:21camaraderie.
13:22Something called a token, a gesture, a hug, an embrace, you know, an X factor.
13:27And in this case, a packet of Melody.
13:29Okay.
13:29So, it's a packet of Melody.
13:31Okay.
13:31So, you have made your opening comment.
13:33Let me go back to Dr. Ajay Kumar so that he finishes this point.
13:36Please go ahead, sir.
13:38Sir, Maria, sorry, I lost the, I couldn't hear what Sanju ji was saying.
13:43But, I don't, so I don't know what to say.
13:46But, yes, can you just tell me what did she say?
13:49Because I totally missed it out.
13:51Sanju Verma, will you just quickly sum it up in 20 seconds for yourself?
13:54Sanju ji, please, no offense.
13:55I mean, I was just trying to be jocular on it.
13:58But go ahead.
13:58Yes.
13:59I simply said that, yes, serious foreign policy is about energy security, bilateral commerce, trade agreements, defense cooperation.
14:09But it's also about an X factor of personal chemistry between two leaders.
14:14So, why much ado about nothing?
14:16Why so much of brouhaha about a Melody moment?
14:19Why can't you just let it be?
14:21Yeah, let it be.
14:22Let it be is the point here.
14:23Please go ahead.
14:23Yeah.
14:24Okay.
14:24So, just for everybody, I appreciate what the ambassador said and what Sanju ji said.
14:29The question again is, much you might keep beating drums on India's foreign relationship, if it's trade and all.
14:36I would like the ambassador and anyone or even Sanju ji, why is the FDI leaving, like, jettisoning out of
14:43India in such large numbers?
14:45The highest amount of FDI exit in the whole of – so, India's currency is doing worse than Pakistan.
14:52We have actually lost value versus Pakistan's rupee.
14:55We have lost value against Bangladesh's rupee.
14:58We are the worst-performing currency.
15:00The maximum foreign direct investment has left India, Mariya.
15:03You understand economics, and I'm sure the ambassador and Sanju understands economics much better than I would do, probably.
15:09But the issue is, there is a very nice article by Surjit Bhalla, which I never thought I'd quote Surjit
15:16Bhalla, but to quote Surjit Bhalla, that the economy is in shambles.
15:21The same melody, toffee, sugar has increased from 37 rupees to 46 rupees per kg sugar.
15:29Milk has increased from 37 rupees to 60 rupees.
15:32Is the Indian economy in a dire state?
15:35Yes.
15:36Can the prime minister address any of these issues?
15:39No.
15:39Did the prime minister give a lecture to me and you, saying that we should conserve money and then fly
15:44to Europe?
15:45Yes.
15:46And does anything in the prime minister's action give you confidence that he's serious about it?
15:51Okay.
15:51That's what I'm asking.
15:52Okay.
15:53Which prime minister tells, don't go abroad?
15:55One sec, Mariya, don't go abroad, nation in trouble, etc., and then catches a flight and rushes off to UAE
16:00and Norway, Sweden, Dubai.
16:02No, my prime minister, our prime minister, I would have expected to address these issues which are fundamental.
16:10So, prime minister should be addressing the economic concerns that people have, the distress which is now evident in certain
16:17pockets, the fact that the, you know, the price of diesel and petrol is increasing, Sanju Verma, is the point
16:25that is being made, rather than, you know, rather than the melody moment.
16:58Correct.
16:59Mr. Modi has seen in less than six years three black swan events unfolding globally.
17:05Indeed, geopolitical mayhem is a given.
17:09Despite that, India is the only economy in the last seven to eight years to have grown GDP growth of
17:157% plus, average retail inflation 3.4%, current account deficit of 0.7%, it was 4.8% under
17:23Congress, record exports of $863 billion, exports never crossed $300 billion under Congress.
17:30Despite what Darbari's say, forex reserves are a solid $697 billion under the Congress, it was $294 billion.
17:40And don't forget that inflation today, despite global supply chain disruptions, is 3.4%.
17:47Under the Congress in 2012, retail inflation was 12.6%, food inflation was 14.9%.
17:54And I remember Manmohan Singh saying in 2012, payse ped par thodi ugte hain, and he raised prices of petrol
18:01and diesel by 8 rupees a liter.
18:03Today, in the last three months alone, petrol prices in US are 55% higher, in Canada, 32% higher,
18:11New Zealand, 34% higher, South Korea, 37% higher, Malaysia, 56% higher, Pakistan, 89% higher, Bangladesh, 73
18:21% higher.
18:21In India, petrol and diesel prices after the two recent hikes are still up only 4.2%.
18:29And CNG prices, despite being hiked to 80 rupees a kg, are 5.6 times lower than the global gas
18:38prices, which are almost at $900 a ton.
18:42And my final point is this, do you know something?
18:45In the last six months, Brent crude prices are up 74%.
18:51Yes, yes.
18:52So please don't try and look at things in isolation.
18:55Globally, India is faring much better.
18:58And my final point, since Dr. Rajai Kumar mentioned Pakistan and Bangladesh, your audience needs to know this, Maria.
19:04We are a $4.3 billion economy.
19:08Pakistan is a $350 billion economy, which means we are 12.2 times bigger than Pakistan.
19:16Bangladesh's economy is $450 billion.
19:19Okay, that's a lot of numbers that has been shared.
19:24A lot of numbers there shared by Sanju Verma, who is an economist herself.
19:29So, Dr. Rajai Kumar, a response from this and also, how is that moment really an insult to an Indian,
19:38as Rahul Gandhi says?
19:40No, so, so, Maria, one of the things good about the numbers is that, you know, whichever way you can
19:46dash it.
19:46You can also come up with numbers.
19:47You can also come up with numbers.
19:48No, no, no, exactly.
19:49No, no, and I'll tell you the numbers.
19:50So, the government of India was rich enough to take 45 lakh crores from your pocket when the crude was
19:56cheaper.
19:57So, 45 lakh crores was the windfall tax, payment, excise, such as 45 lakh crores the Modi government has earned
20:04from the pockets of Indians.
20:06Now, it is very rich to say that we are cheaper than this, we are cheaper than that.
20:11The fact is that when the crude was down, you made sure you squeezed every Indian out of the money,
20:17and now you're claiming because you increased the prices.
20:21So, that's one thing.
20:21Second issue is, Singapore has got a smaller economy, but it's got a much higher per capita.
20:28Forget Pakistan, Bangladesh.
20:30We have 147 per capita, but I'm not even talking about that.
20:33My question is, any right Indian, don't you think there is an economic storm happening?
20:40Don't you think that the FDIs, explain to me why is it that India is the worst performing currency?
20:45We have lost 12% in this past six months.
20:48Why is Indian rupee the worst performing currency in the whole of Asia?
20:52The depreciation, the depreciation of the Indian rupee is a matter of huge concern.
20:57Yes, I've been asking that to all the economists.
21:00Yes, please go ahead.
21:00I'll just complete, Sanjuji, then you can.
21:03The other issue is, one is it is FDIs leaving.
21:06The FDIs have no trust because of the kind of rules we have made.
21:09The fact is, you keep going all over the world, but the foreign direct investment is based on certain things,
21:15like the five-year arbitration rule which government has brought for any kind of investment,
21:19as if people are dying to invest in India.
21:22These are, you know, in public domain.
21:24And I would entreat all the BJP people and the Congress people to read the article,
21:30because I told you, Sujit Bala has been very critical about the Congress party,
21:33but that article which he wrote on the economic disaster of the Modi government and the Indian Express today
21:39actually exposes the present situation.
21:42Most important, if a Wipro engineer was earning 3.5 lakh rupees,
21:48IT company's engineer was earning 3.5 lakh rupees per year in 2014,
21:53the poor middle-class Indian child is still earning 3.75 lakh rupees.
21:59I have just limited time.
22:01Please go ahead, Sanju Varma, and then I'll give the last word to the ambassador.
22:04Please go ahead. 30 seconds, Sanju Varma.
22:05Please, ma'am, go ahead.
22:06Yes.
22:06You know, I just, I'm tired of hearing this argument.
22:09Oh, Modi government collected 45 lakh crores, 35 lakh crores.
22:13Kya kia?
22:13This is what Modi government has done.
22:15The total highway length was 90,000 kilometers under the Congress.
22:21Today, it is 1,46,000 square kilometers, a 62% jump.
22:27Bogi Bil Bridge, Dhola Sadia Bridge, Navi Mumbai International Airport,
22:31Chennai Metro, Bengaluru Metro, 85 Amrit Bharat trains, 68 Amrit Bharat trains,
22:37and don't forget the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the Nagpur-Samrithi corridor.
22:41Okay, ma'am.
22:42Ma'am, I have 30 seconds for the ambassador, please,
22:45because he has been extremely patient.
22:47He got the opening comments.
22:48Let me give him the last comments as well.
22:50Ambassador, you know, of course, there would be back and forth among the politicians,
22:55but looking at Prime Minister Modi's personality-driven diplomacy,
23:00do you think these moments help and that display of chemistry actually helps
23:08in consolidating international relations?
23:13Well, no doubt there are optics to it, but they also, as I mentioned,
23:17that today the nature of diplomacy has changed.
23:19We have had other leaders also.
23:21I mean, the Congress knows that when Dr. Manmol Singh used to go and talk to the leaders,
23:24he was respected.
23:26So there was a certain chemistry.
23:27People like it in a differential manner.
23:29Same way with Prime Minister Modi.
23:31I mean, he's one of the most liked and well-connected leaders in the world.
23:36Everybody looks up to him.
23:37We have seen not only with Italy, but when he went to Sweden,
23:40when he went to the Netherlands and met all the four leaders,
23:44the leader of the Iceland, you know, the Prime Minister said that
23:46this is someone that we should be doing it.
23:48So it is natural for the leaders to connect.
23:51And today the diplomacy is conducted at the highest level.
23:54At the leadership level.
23:55Yes.
23:55That's how it has moved in with the kind of communication networks
23:58that are going and the mechanisms that are moving forward.
24:02So it is absolutely necessary.
24:04Plus, this is also a fact that we are going through very unprecedented crisis.
24:09That's right.
24:09And there is a crisis after crisis that is going to impact on the economies.
24:13We are unfortunately exposed.
24:17Okay.
24:17Thank you so much for joining us, Ambassador Anitra Gunayat.
24:21Thank you, Sanju Verma, for your time here on the show.
24:24And thanks to Dr. Joy Kumar as well.
24:27A surprise endorsement, not by one, but by two global leaders,
24:31has taken the world by storm.
24:33A humble toffee called Melody has suddenly become a symbol of soft power.
24:39And the real winner here is Pali Products.
24:42Here's a report on how the company is benefiting from the Prime Minister's gift.
24:46Leaving you with that.
24:49Prime Minister Modi brought us a gift, a very, very good toffee.
24:56Melody.
25:01Desi candy, sweet global diplomacy.
25:05And suddenly the internet has just one question to us.
25:09Melody, why is this global?
25:10P.A. Modi's gift to Melody has turned a humble parley toffee
25:14into an international celebrity.
25:16No influencer, no celebrity.
25:19An endorsement from two world leaders, absolutely complimentary.
25:25An Indian toffee has suddenly become a soft power.
25:29And the real winner here?
25:31Well, Parley Products.
25:33The owner of Melody, probably wondering which ad agency could ever top this campaign.
25:39Parley's VP and CMO Mayank Shah even called it a proud moment for Indian products getting a global stage.
25:47The Honourable Prime Minister is known for giving global stage to Swadeshi or Indian brands.
25:53And I think, you know, he's done that today by presenting Melody to the Prime Minister of Italy.
26:01So, honestly, as I say, pleasantly surprised and can't thank him enough for this.
26:09In fact, the social media buzz around P.A. Modi gifting Melody to the Italian Prime Minister
26:14appears to have sparked confusion among retail investors,
26:18sending Parley industry shares sharply higher despite no business connection to the toffee brand.
26:24Parley Products is a firm producing the Melody toffee.
26:27The craze got so real that Melody toffee started disappearing from Blink Kids,
26:32Zepto and Swiggy Instamart faster than concert tickets.
26:36From Indian Kirana stores to international headlines,
26:40Melody has officially had its diplomatic breakthrough.
26:43But despite all the hype, one mystery still remains unsolved.
26:48Melody itni chocolati kyun hai?
26:50With Sakshi Batra, Aastha Bhardwaj, India Today.
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