On Sunday, campaigning for a BJP win in the upcoming state elections, Narendra Modi, abandoned all pretense of campaigning for 'development' and delivered a speech with grave communal colour and overtones.
Promoting his 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' slogan (sic), Modi, during an election in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, said “Gaon mein agar kabristan banta hai, to gaon mein shamshaan bhi banana chahiye. Agar Ramzan me bijli militi hai, to Diwali me bhi milni chahiye. Agar Holi me bijli milit hai, to Eid par bhi bijli milni chahiye. Bhedbhav nahin hona chahiye" (If a village gets a graveyard, it should get a cremation ground too. If there is electricity during Ramzan , there should be electricity during Diwali too. If there is electricity during Holi, there should be electricity during Eid too. There should not be any discrimination)
The outrage and revulsion caused by this speech was revealed on social media and twitter. Meanwhile political pundits in the state are asking why the PM needed to resort to such banal imagery? Is the BJP smelling defeat and has therefore resorted to the time-tested communally polarising card?
The speech may be heard here
There were sharp reactions on Twitter. Here is what the General Secretary of the CPI-M, Sitaram Yechury tweeted:
The mask falls. Whither "development"? https://t.co/oWdMTqvvCg
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) February 19, 2017