It seems the BJP hurls up a new test for the limits of India’s election laws with every passing day, as party leaders and media managers espouse fascist nonsense that should be unimaginable in a country that is trying to brand itself the “mother of democracy”.
Where most propaganda and smear campaigns build on at least a grain of truth to keep the story believable and offer plausible deniability in the face of hate speech accusations, the BJP doesn’t even feel the need to do this much anymore. After over a decade of manipulating the media and corrupting electoral laws, BJP is able to fearlessly publish ads and ‘fact sheets’ that even its friendly ‘Godi’ media outlets are forced to admit are 100% false and sometimes don’t even make sense. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi can go around claiming Indian Muslims are “invaders”, “infiltrators”, and “looters” without any fear of punishment, even though communal incitement is a potentially disqualifying offence under Indian election law. Modi and other BJP leaders have also claimed the opposition INDIA alliance would steal women’s jewellery and give it to Muslims — the actual election promise was a more equitable distribution of wealth to uplift underprivileged groups, including religious minorities, backwards classes and tribes. Other ads hope to play minorities against each other — accuse Muslims of stealing from backwards classes, scheduled tribes and other religious minorities — a move that is straight out of the fascist playbook.
The irony is not lost that Instagram — which is headquartered in the US, one of the free speech bastions of the world — has been taking down videos of Modi’s speeches specifically because they violate its rules on hate speech, yet the Indian Election Commission sees no problem. Modi has gone well beyond subtle dog whistles to the point where he is clanging pots and pans to call out the whole zoo. But while activists slam his comments for how they will empower violent nationalists well past the elections, it is clear that nothing will be done to stop them.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2024.
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