During election seasons, mudslinging becomes rampant as political opponents resort to personal attacks and smear campaigns to discredit each other's character and policies.
Leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political parties have commenced a flurry of attacks and counterattacks against their opponents. The ruling BJP appears to have gained an advantage as it released videos mocking its adversaries on consecutive days.
In a recent video released by the BJP on its official social media platform, characters resembling opposition leaders are depicted being brutally mocked by a shopkeeper. He asserts that merely changing the name of their alliance will not alter anything.
Furthermore, the shopkeeper implies that the same alliance, under the name of UPA, was rejected in 2019, and changing its name in 2024 won't garner public acceptance.
Watch video here:
Notably, the BJP released a video titled 'Main Hi Dulha Hoon Right' on Wednesday. In the initial video released by the ruling party, opposition figures are depicted gathering for a meeting concerning marriage, with Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP, prominently featured. The video aims to convey that leaders of the INDIA bloc view themselves as contenders with no consensus on a single common candidate to lead the opposition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Congress' reaction on first video
The BJP's initial video drew a sharp response from the Congress party, with the party's national spokesperson, Supriya Shrinate, remarking that there's a distinction between selecting a groom and electing a representative in a democracy. In an implicit critique aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she added, "...anyone can become the groom, but it is crucial to uphold the principles of marriage."
Shrinate further underscored the sanctity of matrimonial bonds, underscoring trust and affection as its cornerstone. She criticized the BJP's advertisement, suggesting it perpetuates stereotypes about women and fails to grasp the essence of democracy.
"The institution of marriage holds immense sanctity. It's a bond built on mutual trust and love, which, despite lacking blood ties, stands as the strongest foundation for all other relationships in life. Today, the BJP's distasteful advertisement has once again underscored their narrow-minded view, reducing a woman's existence to donning bridal attire and impressing a groom. However, there's a distinction between finding a groom and selecting your representative in a democracy. While anyone can assume the role of a groom, it's imperative to uphold the principles of marital duty," Shrinate stated in a post on X.
