By D.N. Singh
As observed earlier in this platform exactly the same seem to be happening in the campaign meetings by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. Almost in each public meetings in the run up to the polls, the Pulwama incident remains the prelude. As if the entire onus has shifted from the shoulders of our security forces to political parties to battle out the menace of terrorism.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath did that only while addressing a meeting in Odisha’s Kalahandi. As if Pulwama incident was a God sent plank for politicians across, in each election meetings it has grown to become a common metaphor and similarly Yogi was seen breast-beating the cause to mean that it is only the BJP which has the mettle to fight back the terror elements or Pakistan by implication.
It is hard to comprehend as how wise it is for politicians to make repeat threats about a retaliation time and again to the gruesome incident in Pulwama district. Such strategic matters, after the brief palpitations and anger, should be allowed to go back to the war-rooms rather than be a part of each filibustering at public rallies.
Use of a few sobriquets for the enemy country is different but assuming that a party has the unique ability to teach the enemy a lesson is bit too much to digest. Almost every day one can witness people coming out in rallies, sloganeering against Pakistan or bring out candle-light march is really enough to send the message that people’s heart really bleed for our jawans. And it requires no further waxing by politicians’ speeches, reducing the issue to a trivial political plank.
Rest issues like eulogiging the NDA’s four year plus regime and its achievement under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or berating Naveen Patnaik’s 19-year-old ‘misrule’ are all fair as a part of the game. Yogi, that way, was politically correct being very unsparing in his criticism. But what was quite discernible that, civility is something that the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh did not lose sight of during his Kalahandi and Puri speech. Rest all the issues, as usual, on each political platforms now onwards would be the same and Yogi that way was not different to plead before the people for a chance for the BJP to rule Odisha.
