India's political landscape has never been as divided as it is now. Political parties and leaders no longer see each other as mere rivals but as enemies. There was a time when leaders from different parties would publicly criticize each other but maintain good personal relations. They would meet, interact, and share cordial relations outside the political arena. However, this tradition has nearly vanished. Today, any show of goodwill between ruling and opposition leaders surprises many and often leads to panic among the involved leaders, fearing backlash from their superiors. This shift is largely due to the transformation of ideological and political divisions into personal enmities for electoral gains.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated a relentless campaign against opposition leaders, branding them as corrupt, nepotistic, and inefficient. Consequently, BJP leaders felt compelled to distance themselves from Congress and other anti-BJP leaders. This led to a scenario where BJP leaders resort to aggressive attacks on opposition leaders to prove their loyalty. In response, Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders adopted a strategy of directly targeting Narendra Modi instead of focusing on policies and governance.
This political division has now permeated the grassroots level, affecting voters. Leaders have started labeling those who vote against them as enemies, openly stating they won't work for those who didn't support them. For instance, JD(U) leader Devesh Chandra Thakur, after winning the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat, declared he wouldn't serve the Muslim and Yadav communities for not voting for him. Similarly, BJP's Nishikant Dubey, elected from Godda, Jharkhand, announced plans to build community centers only in areas where BJP received over 60% votes. BJP's Om Kumar from Uttar Pradesh also stated he wouldn't work for those who didn't vote for him.
These examples illustrate the severe extent of political division. The
Stay Updated With India News segment will now be as polarized as football fandom, with supporters fiercely loyal to their parties. EVMs have further enabled politicians to identify voting patterns at specific booths, potentially leading to discriminatory development practices.
Such actions raise concerns about the violation of the oath taken by elected members to uphold the Constitution, which ensures equality for all citizens and prohibits discrimination. Although the oath for ministers includes a specific line about unbiased conduct, this is absent in the oaths for MPs and MLAs. Does this imply that MPs and MLAs can discriminate? If unchecked, this trend could lead to severe social fragmentation, with communities divided along party lines, resulting in frequent conflicts and further eroding the social fabric. It's imperative to address this issue before it becomes institutionalized and causes irreversible damage to societal harmony.