The popular theory that “silence is consent” would appear to kick in as far as the reaction of the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party to the consistently objectionable outbursts of the party’s candidate for the Lok Sabha from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur goes.
Without delving into her controversial past, the fact that three times since she was “selected” for the party ticket she has been at the centre of unbecoming storms only underlines the qualities the party leadership saw in her when fielding her for the prestigious contest: it was “winability” at any cost.
Proof of how just how low our politicians will sink for electoral gain. True that her contention that Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt did cause a little embarrassment in local BJP circles, but that the criticism came from nobody in a more authoritative position than official spokesman GVL Narasimha Rao ~ which drew only a reluctant, qualified apology ~ points to her triple offence actually being condoned by the BJPs “luminaries”, as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has described them.
And to think, as this newspaper can testify, that the BJP’s ideological parent routinely sues publications that even hint at a link between Godse and the RSS! There is a method in the Sadhvi’s madness: her condemnation of gallantry-awardee police martyr Hemant Karkare is aimed at boosting her case in the Malegaon blasts trial, declaring that she was present during the razing of the Babri Masjid fits in with the BJP’s overall Ayodhya agenda, and since many in the masses mistakenly believe that the Gandhi name points to a family tie between the Mahatma and Rahul-Sonia etc the BJP hopes that its blackening will have a trickle-down impact.
That the comment renders rather hollow the government’s grandiose plans to celebrate Gandhiji’s anniversary is of trivial consequence ~ the polls will long be over by October 2.
Some BJP leaders point out that she is a newcomer to the party, not really “hard-core”, but conveniently forget that she was specially drafted for the Bhopal skirmish.
Others claim she is the spearhead in the scrap against the Hindu-terror tag. Yet another defence is that Sam Pitroda and Mani Shankar Aiyar had made equally distasteful comments ~ the difference is that neither have been accorded Congress’ tickets.
There is no validity to the contention that if she blundered with her Godse “tribute” the Election Commission could step in: polling is over for Bhopal, the larger campaign is winding down, so even if the toothless EC dares to bare its imaginary fangs there is little to bite.
And Nirvachan Sadan’s standard line that recourse to an election petition is always available is a cowardly alibi.
Maybe little purpose would be served if the BJP now opts to disown her. Should both she and the BJP win there will be lusty cheering from the saffron brigade when she takes her oath in the Lok Sabha ~ applause for the demise of dignified politics.