The Election Commission this week urged the Supreme Court to intervene urgently, alleging that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s speeches have fostered an atmosphere of intimidation and violence against officials conducting the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state. It also claimed that the police have been reluctant to register FIRs against those responsible.

This is not the first time the West Bengal chief minister has been accused of making provocative or intimidatory remarks. During the recent Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, she reportedly said that she does not follow “ganda dharm" (dirty religion). Last week, she also warned the prime minister that she would become “very dangerous" if she, or her state, was hurt.

The provocative language and polemics—the nasty politics—are not limited to the West Bengal chief minister alone. Across India, politicians who claim to be in the opposition and are projected as “strong leaders" often rely on provocation, something that is not justifiable under any circumstances. In fact, this provocation is one reason they are seen as strong leaders.

Take Pinarayi Vijayan, for instance. The opposition in Kerala protested against the CPI(M) chief minister and waved black flags at him as part of their demonstration. In a democracy, such protests and expressions of dissent are nothing new. CPI(M) party members, however, were quick to act. In one such incident, party workers beat up a few protesters as they waved flags at the chief minister’s convoy. Even after videos surfaced showing party workers attacking protesters with flower pots and other objects, the chief minister justified the act, calling it a compassionate gesture and claiming they were trying to save the protesters’ lives from an automobile accident.

Politicians from Tamil Nadu are no different. Stalin, before becoming chief minister, allegedly said some vile things about Hindu wedding rituals while attending a Christian wedding. In a widely circulated video of his speech, he can be seen mocking “Vedic ceremonial" weddings, where the bride and groom do not sit on chairs, a ceremonial fire is lit in the middle, and smoke gets into everyone’s eyes, making them tear up. He described it as if everything turns tragic, and claimed that priests chant mantras, the meanings of which even they do not know.

The polemic does not stop with the Tamil Nadu chief minister. His son, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, also courted controversy when he spoke about eradicating Sanatana Dharma, a statement that the Tamil Nadu High Court rebuked just last week. The court said the remark amounted to hate speech and was a clear attack on Hinduism. It also took note of the prevailing situation where “the persons who initiate hate speech are let scot-free, while those who react to such hate speech face the wrath of the law".

Why do senior politicians across India choose nasty politics over a more respectful kind of........

© News18