The impact of words

Some of the leaders use to involve in political stratagem to woo the voters and issue a controversial statement but retreat later in the wake of all around criticism saying it was either a ‘slip of tongue’ or his/her ‘personal opinion.’ It is nothing but a dirt trick which is constantly being used by political leaders. If their voice bears fruit, their status enhances in the party as an outspoken leader, but in case they have to face the flip side of the “word- impact” they simply resort to politicians’ general usage- ‘personal opinion.’

Without weighing, a brainless statement can spark a fresh row across the country already suffering from the consecutive bomb explosions and can diminish India’s secular position in the world. Bharatiya Janata Party’s second generation influential leader and the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj blamed the Congress-led UPA government terming the serial blasts as a conspiracy to divert attention from the “cash-for-votes scandal” and “an attempt to woo the Muslim voters” which got distracted after the pro-American nuclear deal pursuing by the Government.

Such a statement not even acceptable from a novice politician and certainly can’t be justifiable from a mature person of high repute like her. Politics has touched a new low. Healthy political gimmick to fetch the attention of publics can be acceptable to a certain extent, but the statements which could have the power to arouse communal disharmony is directly an onslaught on the soul of constitution.

In the wake of bomb blasts or any grave crisis when politicians are required to keep restraint on their tongue and are expected to think before speak because such baseless allegations only embolden terrorists to intensify their nefarious activities.

Ms. Swaraj needs to learn from her own party leader and prime ministerial candidates, L K Advani, who is an advocacy of revival of POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) and has made ‘terrorism’ an election issue, spoke just after the blasts in a very calculated manner.

Advani knew the need of the hour and the worth of words. What he said is being used now by the party to envelope Swaraj’s negligent statements. Advani said: “it’s not a war against a state or a party; it’s an attack on the country.”

The unmindful remarks were not only issued by the BJP, even Congress did not lag behind. Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal said the blasts were a consequence of the riots in Gujarat. Occurrence of blasts in all the three states-Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad- were coincidental or orchestrated, will only be revealed after detailed investigations. But, such a statement indeed weakens the Centre-State relationship and provides fuel to separatist tendency.

Terror attacks are condemnable and can not be justified by blaming each other. Bomb blasts on a large scale in an orchestrated manner can be said as the failure of the Investigating Agency, but to play politics on such a crucial issue of national security can neither be justified nor be allowed.

A fair administration runs with an equal participation of the ruling government and the Opposition. Opposition Parties play a major role in running the government. Its duty is to oppose the government’s policy in interests of the nation, and not just to oppose only for the sake of opposition. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday after overwhelming criticism disowned the mumbo jumbo remarks of Sushma Swaraj, but the politicians must bear in mind that action speaks louder than words.