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Dhruv Rathee does a Mark Zuckerberg, rides surfboard minus the beer on Independence Day
Dhruv Rathee has shared an Independence Day video that shows him riding a surfboard with the Indian tricolour in hand.
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Dhruv Rathee has shared a video that shows him riding a surfboard with the Indian tricolour in hand. The video was shared online on India’s 79th Independence Day, with Rathee channeling his inner Mark Zuckerberg for the occasion.
For the unaware, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg marked the American Independence Day last year with a video that showed him wakesurfing while wearing a tuxedo and holding the US flag. The billionaire casually sipped a beer as he rode the waves.
Rathee replaced the tuxedo with a traditional Indian kurta-pyjama. The star-spangled banner became the Indian national flag. The beer was omitted completely. And then, like Zuckerberg, he rode the waves.
Zuckerberg's wakesurfing is on its way to becoming something of a 4th of July tradition. This year, too, he wore an inflatable suit on July 4 as he went wakesurfing. Before that in 2021, he rode the surfboard in slippers, holding the US flag, with a scenic view in the background.
Dhruv Rathee’s message
Through the caption accompanying the video, Rathee sought to draw attention to the Opposition’s ‘vote chori’ charge against the ruling government.
“Happy Independence Day! We must protect the freedom and democracy that our freedom fighters fought so hard for. Speak up against Vote Chori! Speak up for the Nation! Jai Hind!” he wrote.
Congress’s vote chori charge
On August 7, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at a press conference claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were "choreographed" by the EC to benefit the BJP, which he said appeared "immune to anti-incumbency."
The Congress and INDIA bloc launched a wave of protests and campaigns across the country. Rahul Gandhi, along with several opposition leaders, was detained on August 11 during a march to the EC office in Delhi, while Congress leaders in states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Chandigarh lodged complaints, staged marches, and condemned the detentions. The party rolled out a nationwide “vote chori” campaign, including signature drives, torchlight marches, and rallies, with the Indian Youth Congress protesting outside the EC’s Delhi office.
