By Aravind Bhatikar

MANI Shankar Aiyar, a former Indian Foreign Service Officer (IFSO) and a senior Congress leader had called Narendra Modi “neech” (the English equivalent given in google is “wretched”, “low quality”, “unpleasant”) before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. The BJP propaganda brigade immediately unleashed a powerful attack on Aiyar saying Aiyar had called Modi, “low caste” man. The BJP cacophony drowned all voices of reason. The Congress also seemed to have succumbed to BJP propaganda. Mani Shankar Aiyar has been in political exile since then.
Those who asked a few relevant questions regarding Pulwama and Balakot were immediately labelled anti-national and their questions an insult to the Indian Defence Forces. It is only recently that Satyapal Malik’s interview revealed the security lapses of the government of India resulting in the death of 40 CRPF jawan.
As usual Satyapal Malik’s allegation have not been denied but his moral integrity has been questioned by Home Minister Amit Shah.
Rahul Gandhi, in a public meeting in Kolar named Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi and Narendra Modi and asked, “how come all these ‘chors’ are Modi?” The BJP’s propaganda brigade immediately sprung into action by twisting Rahul’s statement and alleged that he had called the whole Modi community thieves. The questions raised by Rahul Gandhi in Parliament about Gautam Adani’s meteoric rise and about the role played by Modi in building up the Adani Empire has put the whole BJP in a spot.
There is total silence by the government on Rahul Gandhi’s allegation. The twisting of Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Kolar and subsequent court cases is being widely seen as a desperate action by the BJP to destroy the Congress and eventually the rest of the opposition. Unfortunately for the BJP, the deliberate twisting of Rahul Gandhi’s statement this time and the subsequent court battle may eventually prove that it has bitten more than it can chew.
The latest incident is the deliberate religious colour given to Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment. Mallikarjun Kharge, in an election meeting, said that Modi was like a poisonous snake. People should not try to check whether the snake is poisonous, if they lick it, they will be dead. Kharge later clarified that he was talking about the BJP ideology and not Modi as a person. Kharge also regretted his statement if that had hurt any person.
The BJP predictably counter-attacked saying Kharge had insulted Modi. Modi himself in a public meeting stated that a snake was always Bhagwan Shankar’s ornament. Will Modi be answerable for dragging Bhagwan Shankar into Karnataka politics?
It is high time Indian voters distinguished the hollow political rhetoric of Narendra Modi from substantive issues that affect their lives.