The Election Commission has a tough job monitoring the campaign to ensure that things remain within the realm of decency and decorum. The model code of conduct, which, though lacking legal backing, is widely accepted as the compendium of do’s and don’ts for parties to strictly play by. Violations are supposed to attract strictures from the EC.
Without doubt, every party resorts to underhand means, using all possible allurements to win elections but the unspeakable abuse of the process is generally hidden from the public view. However, it is not possible to hide what you say on the stump not only because there is always someone taping you live on the ubiquitous cell phones but the EC observers pointedly supervise major public meetings of notable politicians.
Then, of course, there is the plethora of television news channels which are only too happy to blow out of context the words of controversial politicians in order to raise their TRPs. Two of the most controversial politicians known to work on the audiences with their shrill messages of caste and communal divisiveness are undoubtedly the BSP boss Mayawati and the senior BJP leader and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
On Monday, the EC imposed a no-speak ban on both, 48 hours for Mayawati and 72-hours for Adityanath. The penalty of silence begins for both from six o’clock on Tuesday morning. Mayawati was found in violation of the code for her appeal to Muslims not to split the vote against the BJP. She was speaking at a public rally in a Muslim-dominated constituency ahead of the April 11 polling in western UP.
Adityanath too was addressing a rally in UP ahead of the first phase of voting when he thundered that , “If you have faith in Ali, we have faith in Bajrang Bali.” Ali was a reference to the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammed while Bajrang Bali is the name of the Hindu god, Hanuman. The UP CM could not be more explicit in seeking support of Hindus, while suggesting that Muslims were backing the anti-BJP candidates.
Polarisation on communal lines is a feature of the election in UP, especially given the fact that the saffron-clad Yogi Adityanath heads the state government. The speaking ban on the two leaders, key campaigners for their respective parties, ahead of the second phase of polling on Thursday could be disappointing for their supporters. But the enforced rest of their tired vocal chords may actually do the two politicians a lot of good, especially if they use the time to re-calibrate their rhetoric in tune with the EC’s code of conduct.
Again from UP, a case of gross misogyny has come to light and is under the consideration of the EC. Unsurprisingly, Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Rampur, has resorted to vile abuse of his BJP rival, the actor-turned-politician, Jaya Prada. At a public rally he said he had known all along that Jaya Prada wears “khakhi” underwear, a reference to the khakhi knickers worn by the members of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.
Jaya Prada was a member the Samajwadi Party, having been elected to the Lok Sabha on its ticket in an earlier poll. A complaint was filed against Khan with the police. The actor sounded helpless, commenting thus on the offensive remarks, “I am a woman and I can’t even repeat what he said. I don’t know what I did to him that he is saying such things.” Khan is known to make abusive remarks against all and sundry, but it seems this time he might have opened himself for a rap from the EC.
The chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, has appealed to the EC to act against the ‘disgraceful’ remarks of the Samajwadi Party candidate from Rampur. Meanwhile, lest you think these are the only two cases of improper conduct by politicians in the election heat, you will be wrong.
Rahul Gandhi knowingly goes about misrepresenting the order of the apex court in the Rafale case, alleging that the court has said ‘chowkidar is chor.’ Even the not-so-young Congress President knows that the court has not suggested even remotely any such thing, but he insists on putting words in the mouth of the honourable judges to mislead the people.
A BJP leader has filed a case in the apex court, seeking action against Rahul for contempt of court. While the court’s decision is awaited, the peoples’ court has given a big thumbs- down to the offensive remarks of the Congress chief. He has no takers for his twisted remarks, so low is his credibility.