BJP, Cong battle it out on alphabetical turf in poll-bound MP

The parties have been coining meanings to alphabets to highlight issues of corruption

Major rival parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh are literally waging a 'war of words' by coining meanings to alphabets to highlight issues of corruption allegedly linked to each other.

Experts feel that this is not a good thing as it may send a wrong message among children when they listen to such attribution of meanings to alphabets.

The ruling BJP in the state has coined terms like 'A for Adarsh scam, B for Bofors scam, C for CWG scam, D for Damad Ka Scam, E-Enron Scam' and so on in an alphabetical order till Z, as highlighted by party leaders during their poll rallies, against the Congress.

Not to be left behind, the Congress hit back at the BJP by formulating a similar order in Devnagiri (script) language's "Barahkhadi", of scams which allegedly took place during the BJP's governance, specially in MP.

State Congress unit issued a press note last month highlighting scams in 'Barahkhadi' (of Hindi) order - "A-Apex Bank Ghotala (scam) AA-Aditya Construction Company Ghotala, E-Indore Vikas Pradhikaran Ghotala, EE-E-tendering Ghotala, U-Udyogon ka nakli sapna, Uu-Urja kharid Ghotala, A-Arrears Ghotala, Ai-Essar coal Block Ghotala, O-Ola-pala muawja Ghotala, Ou-Aurton par Atyachar...And so on."

However, experts feel politicians should not coin such words.

"In politics, rivals use various ways to down each other by phrasing things in such a manner, but politicians should also think about its wider impact on the society," Dr Gyanendra Gautam, head of sociology department in Barkatullah University here, told PTI.

"In terms of political socialisation, when children listen to such things they start believing two things about politics, first, that it is a bad thing and secondly, it is a mechanism to mint money...Which is not good for the society as such," Gautam said.