A 'shehzada,' a 'supreme leader,' and not a 'sex scandal'

Hello, readers!

This week, politics in India competed with voter turnout in reaching new lows, with the Congress facing further blows, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifting the country an always-welcome dose of (allegedly) ‘communal’ prose.

Surat dikhane layak nahi rahe?

The Congress faced internal strife as it grappled with the fallout of Nilesh Kumbhani's suspension on April 26. Kumbhani, the Congress candidate for the Surat Lok Sabha (LS) seat, found himself disqualified due to discrepancies in his proposers' signatures. The Returning Officer and District Collector, Sourabha Pardhi, cited "discrepancies in the signature of proposers" as grounds for cancellation of Kumbhani's candidature. The allegations of collusion with the BJP further worsened the situation, leading to his six-year suspension from the party. 

Not so lovely after all

April 28 saw the abrupt resignation of Arvinder Singh Lovely as Delhi Congress chief, citing objections to the party's alliance with the AAP and dissatisfaction with candidate selections. Lovely, a former minister in the Sheila Dikshit government, expressed concerns over the conduct and choice of candidates who were "total strangers" to party workers.

Ticking time ‘Bamb’

The Congress suffered another setback on April 29 when its candidate from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, Akshay Kanti Bamb, withdrew from the race and joined the BJP. Bamb's decision to defect to the BJP, escorted by saffron party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Ramesh Mondela, occurred amidst allegations of intimidation tactics and coercion. The withdrawal of Bamb, five days after an attempt to murder charge was added to a 2007 land-grabbing case against him, left the Congress without a contender in a crucial electoral battleground.

The ‘hate speech’ syndrome

On April 29, both the BJP and Congress sought extensions from the Election Commission (EC) to respond to notices regarding complaints of hate speech and divisive rhetoric against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively. The poll panel did not directly name Modi, Rahul or Kharge in connection with the violations in its communication but shared copies of the complaints against them which were submitted to it by various parties.

The EC also took decisive action on April 30 by banning former Telangana CM and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao from campaigning for 48 hours over alleged objectionable remarks against the Congress. 

Ji, hadd ho gayi

On the same day, Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam, who is also the niece of senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, stirred controversy by calling for "vote jihad" during an election meeting in support of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc candidate from the Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat. Addressing a gathering alongside Khurshid, Alam urged the minority community to engage in "vote jihad" to oust the BJP government, stating that “otherwise this ‘Sanghi’ government will succeed in wiping out our existence”. “People say that the Constitution is under threat. But I say that insaniyat (humanity) is under threat,” Alam added.

Maybe have some reservations about this?

On May 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the debate on reservation policies, accusing the Congress of attempting to amend the Constitution, and stating that till the time he is alive, he “won’t let Congress gift the reservation meant for Dalits, SCs, STs, and OBCs to Muslims in the name of religion”.

Da-Bong neta

A remark made by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during a campaign speech in West Bengal sparked controversy, with the TMC accusing him of endorsing the BJP over Mamata Banerjee's party. Chowdhury's statement, "It is better to vote for the BJP than voting for the TMC," was swiftly condemned by Trinamool, labelling him as the saffron party’s "B-Team." The contentious relationship between Chowdhury and the TMC has long been evident, with Trinamool blaming him for the failure to form an alliance between the parties in Bengal.

Burning Brij

On May 2, the BJP's decision to drop sitting MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh amidst an ongoing probe into allegations of sexual harassment and nominate his son, Karan Singh, stirred controversy. By choosing Karan, a political greenhorn, the party has tried to maintain a balancing act as Singh previously refused to back down from the electoral contest and even launched his campaign in the constituency. Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik condemned the saffron party’s decision, stating that the “daughters” of the country had lost, and Brij Bhushan had “won”.

Rae ka pahad

On May 03, the Congress ended the suspense over whether Rahul Gandhi would contest from Amethi, fielding him from Rae Bareli instead and nominating K L Sharma from the constituency. Rahul lost to BJP’s Smriti Irani by about 55,000 votes in 2019. Additionally, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra decided against contesting the elections, putting an end to speculation about her potential entry into electoral politics.

In Karnataka

Kitne Tejasvi log hain

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was booked on April 25 for allegedly soliciting votes on the grounds of religion, under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act. Sharing a video of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Surya posted on X, “A wait for almost 500 years & a wish of crores of Bharatiyas was fulfilled by PM Shri Narendra Modiji. For Bharatiyata to survive, vote for BJP!”. Surya is contesting the 2024 polls against Congress leader Sowmya Reddy, whose father Ramalinga Reddy is the current Karnataka Transport Minister.

Of 'shehzadas' and 'supreme leaders'

Continuing his rhetoric, PM Modi, whom Sambit Patra had called India's 'supreme leader' back in 2019, criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “insulting rajas and maharajas while remaining silent on the atrocities committed by nawabs, nizams, sultans, and badshahs.” Addressing a ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Belagavi on April 28, Modi accused Gandhi of “insulting great personalities like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Kittur Rani Chennamma”.

Dry day

On April 27, the Congress government in the state accused the Modi government of releasing “woefully inadequate” funds for drought relief, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying that the Union Home Ministry “finally woke up” after the Supreme Court “rang the bell”. He added that “some justice” has been done to farmers. State Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the Centre would not have released even this amount had Karnataka not moved the apex court.

Not a ‘sex scandal’.

In perhaps the biggest political jolt to the Prime Minister’s ‘Nari Shakti’ pitch, the JD(S), the BJP’s ally in the state, suspended Hassan Lok Sabha MP Prajwal Revanna after several videos purportedly showing sexual abuse surfaced on social media. Facing backlash, the BJP sought to distance itself from Revanna, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that "This is not a ‘sex scandal,’ but a mass rape case. Prajwal raped 400 women and it is shameful that PM Modi campaigned for him in Hassan.” Party leader Priyanka Gandhi too accused PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of “allowing” Revanna to “flee” the country after the alleged abuse videos surfaced. However, even as questions of justice and accountability were being raised, the focus soon shifted to the question of who “leaked” the abuse videos. Former chief minister and JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy accused Deputy CM D K Shivakumar of playing a role in “leaking” the videos to dent the alliance's poll prospects. On May 2, a lookout circular was issued against Revanna, who is supposedly in Germany, after he failed to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, which denied his request seeking seven days to appear before it. 

And around the world

Joe bhi main kehna chahun

US President Joe Biden, on the first of this month, referred to India, China, Russia, and Japan as "xenophobic" nations that do not welcome immigrants. During a campaign fundraising event, Biden contrasted these countries with the United States, saying that the US economy thrives because it welcomes immigrants. “Immigrants are what makes us strong. Not a joke. That’s not hyperbole, because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and want to contribute,” Biden said.

RAW nerve

After The Washington Post named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist leader and US citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil last year, a US State Department official said that the Biden administration “continues to expect accountability from the Government of India.” New Delhi has rejected the claims as “unwarranted and unsubstantiated,” adding that an investigation into the case is underway. “Speculative and irresponsible comments are not helpful,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal added.

From the river to the sea, but not in the land of the free

And with Israel’s war in Gaza still raging, pro-Palestinian protests have surged across college and university campuses in the United States, resulting in over 2,000 arrests since April 18. Demonstrators are calling for schools to divest from companies supporting Israel and the war in Gaza. At least 200 students were arrested at UCLA and about 300 people were arrested at Columbia University and City College. President Joe Biden has weighed in, distinguishing between peaceful and violent protests, reiterating his support for Israel, and dismissing calls for the National Guard to intervene. 

Exit stage left,

DH Newsletters Team