The BJP drew allround condemnation on Wednesday for its Uttar Pradesh unit vice-president Dayashankar Singh’s derogatory remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, forcing it to shift to damage-control mode and immediately sack Mr Singh from all party posts, a move seen as intended to placate the Dalits.
It also caused an uproar in the Rajya Sabha. The incident is seen as a major blow to the BJP ahead of crucial Assembly elections in the state and its attempts to woo dalits. BSP general secretary Mewalal Gautam, meanwhile, lodged an FIR against the sacked state BJP vice-president at a Lucknow police station.
DC Take:
Public discourse in India has hit a new low. Every day leaders from almost all political parties hit out at each other in the worst possible language. There are two things. First, decency in language even while making a contradictory point of view is of utmost necessity. And secondly, when the language becomes the subject of discussion and debate, the main issue takes a backseat. It will not be wrong to say that at times unparliamentary language is deliberately put to use to deflect one’s attention from the main issue. Needless to say it has boomeranged in the case of Dayashankar Singh.
