Politicians: Making Over The Top Statements Has Sadly Become Routine
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-08-26 14:49:40
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
View all posts by this Author
Although Union minister Narayan Rane's obnoxious comments cannot be condoned, the manner in which he was arrested showed that the MVA government in Maharashtra cares a hoot about political niceties and, like the NDA government, will go to any extreme to settle political scores by using the might of the state.
Rane reportedly said that he would have slapped Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for stopping mid-way in his Independence Day speech to confirm the date of independence from his aides as he said that it showed that the chief minister was not aware of the date. That was an irresponsible statement. Rane could have highlighted the fact in some other manner to show Thackeray in poor light but saying that he would have slapped him was bad and improper.
But the way Shiv Sainiks, the party and the MVA government reacted was even worse. While the former two took to protests and brick-batting outside Rane's home and lodging FIRs (which the administration accepted with undue alacrity) the government arrested him in double quick time as if he was a wanted terrorist (although even terrorists are not arrested so fast).
The response of the BJP was predictable. While choosing to distance itself from his outrageous remarks, the party decried the arrest as a violation of constitutional values. But as the stakes are high in the ensuing civic polls in the state, the BJP has unleashed Rane (a former Shiv Sainik and chief minister) knowing well that he is like a red flag for the Sena as there is no love lost between him and Uddhav Thackeray. This is only the first episode of the soap opera that is likely to be played between Thackeray and Rane over the next few months.
But after Rane was arrested, the social media was flooded with an old (made in 2018) statement of Uddhav Thackeray where he had said that he would have thrashed UP chief minister with slippers for garlanding the statue of Shivaji Maharaj while wearing slippers. So should the UP police now arrest Thackeray for that? Already there are reports that some BJP members will file FIRs against Thackeray in UP. Since not many politicians in India are given to sobriety when making speeches and more often than not rubbish their opponents in the most colourful language, if political scores are settled by making arrests then no one will be spared.
