Down the primrose path: BJP, Congress and a coarsening public discourse

BJP is not the only one to blame, but, being the new pole party in Indian politics, it should have sought to improve political conduct rather than setting the unfortunate tone, writes T N Ninan

The Association for Democratic Reforms says 230 candidates (14 per cent of the total) in the fray for the third phase of polling have serious criminal cases against them. Why, 14 candidates say that they have court convictions standing against them, while 26 candidates have cases of hate speeches filed against them. Even in such a milieu, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) decision to put up Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as its parliamentary candidate for Bhopal stands out for its in-your-face disregard for common sensibilities. It has provoked shock, and rightly drawn widespread criticism for the message that it sends