A dangerous path

Political rhetoric has taken an unwarranted turn

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power not just at the Centre and in several states; it also dominates India’s electoral politics through its mastery of narrative, its outsized purse, and the popularity of its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such a position brings with it certain responsibilities. In particular, it must not seize on every possible method that appears available in order to win state elections. The behaviour of an insurgent opposition, with little to lose, cannot be adopted by a party that has taken on the burden of steering the ship of the state. Yet, the BJP’s