The Oxford dictionary defines privacy as “a state in which one is not observed or distributed by other people” or “the state of being free from public attention.” 

 With the growth of media worldwide, political leaders’ personal lives have come under increasing scrutiny from the public and the media. Those holding elected office and celebrities do not get the same level of privacy as other citizens. That is perhaps the price they pay for being in the limelight.

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This week, two national political parties – the Congress and the BJP – have been indulging in a political fistfight on a viral that shows former Congress President Rahul Gandhi at a casino in Kathmandu. The Congress says he had gone to attend a friend’s wedding. The political parties believe that all is fair in politics and war. 

Rahul’s father and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi also came under similar public criticism when he, along with his wife, Sonia, her parents, film star Amitabh Bachchan and others, holidayed in Lakshadweep in December 1987. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a campaign speech, alleged that Rajiv used the government-owned plane as a personal taxi for his holidays. It became a political issue. 

Western countries have a tradition of holidays, and their heads of government often take such breaks. It is not unusual when the U.S. President goes on a holiday or the British Royal family vacations. Rajiv Gandhi encouraged government servants to go on holiday by enhancing the Leave Travel Concessions (LTC). 

Indians rarely take a vacation. The public is still not used to their leaders going on holiday, which is why there is all that hue and cry about Rahul Gandhi’s frequent trips abroad. 

It could be because the country has still not gotten out of the mindset of the freedom struggle when politicians had dedicated themselves to a single goal – winning freedom for India. Indian leaders shy away from wearing bold clothes or shiny Rolex watches even after 75 years of Independence. Imagine what a hue and cry was made when Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore an expensive suit presented by somebody when President Barack Obama visited India. Rahul Gandhi’s jibe of “suit-boot ki sarkar” stuck with the Prime Minister for a long time. 

Image management is a full-time engagement for world leaders, and everything they wear and speak about is well planned. The image has been built in line with the changing generation. Many leaders have engaged international image-making firms for a makeover. It includes their posture, clothes, walking, and talking.

Most politicians in India invariably wear white or off-white garments and avoid bright colours. Even women politicians stick to salwar suits or sarees and shun modern outfits. 

A red rose pinned in Jawaharlal Nehru’s sherwani, Rajiv Gandhi’s Gucci sneakers, and Modi’s rechristened Nehru jackets are shining examples. Rahul Gandhi has popularised the quilted Burberry bomber waistcoat. During the campaign, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin sported jeans and a T-shirt. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is known as a muffler man. West Ben- gal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wears simple white sarees and Hawai slippers. 

Mayawati’s flashy diamond earrings, a dupatta slung around her neck, and a bob cut enthuses her Dalit voters. 

All these bring up another question: should a public person’s privacy be respected? Is it fair to expect them to measure up to a different standard? 

Some argue that politicians seek public life willingly and should be ready to face scrutiny. The public wants to know politicians’ every move, whether public or private because they are public servants. Often, there is a thin line between malicious gossip and truth. But the ‘Netas” are indeed denied the same level of privacy. 

Even though India recognizes the right to privacy within its Constitution, there is no unified privacy law today. A nine-bench Supreme Court in 2017 unanimously ruled that privacy is a fundamental right, protect- ed as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty and as part of the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. 

The right to privacy has gained momentum throughout the world. The proposed Data Protection Bill is only the start of a long and complex journey. 

If being a public figure comes with hosts of unwritten perks, it also has some perils, and being under intrusive public scrutiny is one. The public expects its leaders to be without any weaknesses.