Indians hear such criticisms less often because Mr Modi has cowed the press, showering bounty on flatterers while starving, controlling and bullying critics.
You could even just cut to the chase and call the person themselves a placebo, which, according to the OED, meant " a flatterer, a sycophant, [or] a parasite."
In one of my translations of Aeryan, the historian writing about Aristobulus said he's known to be part of a group of people around Alexander called the flatterers.
" I understand, " said Stanislas, " it's like the crow who is silly enough to let his cheese fall and be taken by the fox who has been playing the flatterer" .