With the by-elections to two assembly seats in Karnataka scheduled for October 30, political discourse has hit a new low as top leaders are launching personal attacks on each other and no one is worried. Karnataka politics remained quiet for more than two months after BS Yediyurappa resigned to make way for Basavaraj Bommai in late July, but now it is back in action.
Karnataka BJP President and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had called Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “drug addict” and a “peddler” at a public meeting a few days ago. Everything broke down, and top state Congress leaders hit back at Qateel, calling him a “mentally unsound person” who should be sent to a mental asylum.
While BJP leaders defended Kateel over the allegations against Rahul Gandhi, the Youth Congress took out a protest march and burnt his effigy.
Meanwhile, the social media handle of Karnataka Congress created a storm by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “illiterate” using the hashtag #hebbetmodi, which means someone who uses thump impressions. Following strong protests and counter-attack by the BJP, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar apologized for the tweet and said he believed public discourse should be civilized. But a lot of damage had already been done.
Taking no lessons from Rahul Gandhi’s own remarks, Kateel went after Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, and accused him of “marrying”. The state BJP’s tweet read, ‘Signal jump, breach of trust, corruption, nepotism and bigamy more than anything else. HD Kumaraswamy, who always ridicules the mistakes of others, shouldn’t be wary of these things?
An angry Kumaraswamy hit back at the murderer, calling him “worthless” and threatened to “expose him”. “I know everything about his (Kateel) personal life. I will expose him,” Kumaraswamy said.
Kumaraswamy said, “Since the BJP is a complete failure in terms of governance and economy, it is trying to divert public attention from the real issues.”
A turncoat minister, Dr K Sudhakar added fuel to the fire by accusing senior Congress MLA and former Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar of corruption and hypocrisy. Even threatened to send him to jail.
Yediyurappa, who is campaigning for the BJP in next week’s Hanagal and Sindgi bypolls, tried to restore the sanctity of political discourse by condemning his state party chief’s remarks against Rahul Gandhi. He told the media, “What Kateel has said is wrong and bad. No one should say such things. I respect Rahul Gandhi. I will talk to Kateel and refrain from making such comments from him in future.” I will say for
Chief Minister Bommai, who will face the litmus test in the October 30 bypolls, refused to consider questions about the free fall of political discourse. However, his statement almost defending “ethical policing” has sparked another controversy.
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