PM should not speak like ‘villain from C-grade Hindi film’: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday, 5 November, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lowering the level of discourse during the ongoing election campaigns, claiming it showed that the BJP was panicked that they might be losing the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

After alleging that the INDIA bloc will snatch mangalsutras in his Lok Sabha campaign speeches, Modi has stooped to calling the opposition alliance "ghuspaithiya bandhan (an alliance of infiltrators)" and claiming it will "snatch daughters and food" in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the party said.

Modi had first used the term 'ghuspaithiya' in apparent reference to the Muslim community during the Lok Sabha election campaign in April this year.

Congress leader Pawan Khera stated that it is unbecoming of a prime minister to use language similar to that of a "cheap villain from a C-grade Hindi film" and suggested that Modi should uphold the dignity of his office.

He also wondered whether Modi was criticising home minister Amit Shah's work in claiming that infiltrators had free rein in Jharkhand.

"The level of the prime minister's language in electioneering is falling very fast. In Lok Sabha polls, while fearing defeat, he sought to divide society by spewing venom among communities. They did not get enough votes and today they are running a coalition government," he said.

'In the Lok Sabha elections, it started with buffalo, mutton, fish, mangalsutra, Muslim, and by the time it came to the Jharkhand elections, it has reached daughter and bread.

'He used to say INDIA people will take away your daughters and mangalsutras and is now running a government in alliance with other partners,' Khera said in a post in Hindi on X.

In a video message also posted on X, the Congress leader claimed the BJP's prospects are even worse in Jharkhand and Maharashtra and 'they know they are losing'.

'He is now again talking of ghuspaithiya sarkar, that it will snatch your daughters and food. But, border security is under them as he has been in government for over 10 years. Who is giving this certificate to the BSF, the home minister, Rajnath Singh, or are you criticising your own foreign policy?' Khera said.

The Congress spokesperson wondered whether the prime minister was publicly criticising home minister Amit Shah with such statements. "Whatever their differences, he should improve his language. Such language and dialogues are not befitting of the prime minister's post," he said.

"Such dialogues are spoken by a cheap villain of a C-grade Hindi film and do not behove him. You must improve upon your language," he said

Accusing the prime minister of having "lost his personal dignity", Khera said, "At least maintain the respect and reputation of the position you hold."

"Please maintain this maryada (decorum) in the leftover time you have, please keep that in mind," the chairman of the media and publicity department of the Congress said.

Prime Minister Modi had on Monday, 4 November, repeated his attack of last week on the JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand, labelling it a "ghuspaithiya bandhan (infiltrators' alliance)" for "supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators". Again, the nod towards a Muslim identity could hardly be misconstrued.

"Appeasement politics has reached its zenith in Jharkhand," he claimed at a rally in Garhwa, "where the JMM-led coalition is busy supporting Bangladeshi infiltrators.

"If this continues, the state's tribal population will shrink. This is a threat to the tribal society and the country. This coalition has become a ghushpaithiya bandhan and mafia ka ghulam (slave to the mafia)."

Modi alleged that the JMM-led ruling coalition in the state — of which the Congress is a part — has put tribal "identity, dignity and existence" at stake by "facilitating" Bangladeshi infiltrators to make fake documents.

"Infiltrators are snatching your daughters, grabbing land and devouring your bread," he said in Chaibasa, claiming that efforts were being made to change Jharkhand's demography.

This was Modi's first visit to Jharkhand following the announcement of the assembly elections, scheduled on 13 November and 20 November.

However, the Congress was hardly alone in its condemnation of the prime minister's electioneering rhetoric.

In an interview to news agency ANI today (5 November), CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat too took Modi to task, saying: "The words he uses are in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The words he uses are communal and against the law. So, the question is, is the Election Commission sleeping?...

"When such statements were made in Haryana, EC broke all rules and issued notice to the entire party without taking any names... It seems that an atmosphere has formed in the country that the PM is above all laws, that he can speak whatever he wants...

"This is wrong. The Election Commission should issue notice and take action... The law and the Constitution is the same for everyone."

The only disagreement with Karat might have come from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who felt the language of the entire BJP reflected a "rotten" thought process, as evidenced by its "batenge toh katenge (if divided, Hindus will be finished)" rhetoric — which incidentally was heard amplified by the Hindu priest of the temple in Brampton, Canada that saw a clash between devotees and Sikh demonstrators bearing Khalistani flags.

Kharge also alleged that the saffron party was conspiring to grab power in Jharkhand and put its tribal chief minister Hemant Soren behind bars again.

"The BJP has some rotten thoughts, it believes in batenge toh katenge," Kharge said while addressing an election rally in the Jharkhand capital, Ranchi, today (5 November).

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's may be credited with this much-bandied-about gem. The BJP leader was heard using the “batenge toh katenge” motto several times recently.

Counting of votes for the 81 Jharkhand assembly seats are expected to take place on 23 November. Will that at least put a pause on the incendiary rhetoric? We doubt it.

With PTI inputs