Political discourse is plummeting to new lows with each passing day as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi revels in being everyone else’s chief opponent.

So he mocks at Rahul Gandhi, calling him a namoona (comic specimen) who should be treated as a “stress-reliever”. “If you want to relieve stress, listen to Rahul's speeches…What kind of namoona has the Congress found?” he said on Monday during a rally.

The Gandhis seem to be Modi’s main target — he attacks them almost every day, not sparing Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, whom the BJP has described as “a textbook case of corruption and crony capitalism”.

Regional leaders

Modi, however, holds his punches with regard to provincial politicians, restricting himself to political jibes. In fact, on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the farthest Modi has gone so far is to taking swipes at her paintings.

“Earlier, your paintings used to sell for eight, ten lakh rupees. How, then, did your painting sell for ₹1.8 crore? Who bought it? I respect you personally but this has tarnished your image,” said Modi at a public rally in Sreerampur.

He has, thus far, not made any personal remark against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, RJD chief Lalu Prasad , BSP chief Mayawati et al.

But that has not stopped the regional leaders from targeting Modi. The Trinamool Congress has resorted to calling him “the butcher of Gujarat” who has “blood straining down his hands” while Lalu routinely refers to him as a dangai (rioter).

Most recently, it is National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah who has advised Modi’s supporters to “jump into the sea”, apparently by way of a response to BJP candidate from Nawada, Bihar, Giriraj Singh’s advice that all those opposed to Modi should be packed off to Pakistan.

The regional chieftains, according to BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman, are stooping to name-calling because “their fortresses have been breached”. “Under Narendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP is expanding at an unprecedented pace in every state. Naturally, the regional leaders are frustrated and have started abusing us,” she said.

The debate around issues is even more superficial with Modi making dramatic statements to the effect of “packing Bangladeshis off” the very day he assumes power.

Taking their cue from such comments, the Sangh Parivar and its assorted affiliates such as Yoga Guru Ramdev have taken to making shocking comments without any disapproval from the BJP.

Ramdev’s assertion that Rahul goes to “Dalit homes for honeymoon and picnic” was regarded as an instance of misunderstanding the latest Dalit entrant in the BJP, Udit Raj. “The word ‘honeymoon’ can be used in different contexts,” he opined.

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