Cameraperson: Abhay Sharma
Video editor: Purnendu Pritam
Dear Prime Minister, it’s time you make up your mind. Because your party, the BJP, is politicising rapes even as you say, “Rapes are rapes. Don’t politicise rapes.”
I have never indulged in counting the number of rape incidents in this government and that government. Rape is rape, be it now or earlier. It is extremely sad. Don’t politicise rape incidents.Narendra Modi in London
Yet four days after that, the BJP published ads in newspapers in Karnataka, asking for votes by talking about...rapes.
So dear Pradhan Mantri ji, I Have A Question.
- Do you not know about the ads that are being published with your picture on them, by your party?
- Or are you not bothered that they contradict what you said in London?
- Or worse, is this a deliberate strategy of doublespeak?
And let’s address the elephant in the room. You said rapes should not be politicised.
Why say that in 2018, when you had a completely different stance in 2014.
Remember Nirbhaya before you go out and vote. Remember her, and every woman in Delhi, and vote for the BJP. And take my guarantee, that nothing like that will happen to any girl after that.Narendra Modi
Which Modi Do We Believe?
So which Narendra Modi are we to believe? The 2014 Modi or the 2018 Modi? The Modi in opposition or the Modi in government? Oh wait, there are two versions in 2018 too.
One version of Modiji says, ‘don’t politicise’.
The other version does this.
One version says, “But can we compare the number of rapes in different governments? We cannot say there were this many rapes in our government and that many in yours. There cannot be a worse way to deal with this issue.”
The other version prints ads and asks for votes by citing the number of rape cases under Congress’ rule in Karnataka.
The BJP’s Inaction
And now, you seem to have given a gag order to your leaders, accusing them of “making mistakes and giving 'masala' to the media”.
Great, but I have a question, Mr Prime Minister.
Exactly what action have you, or the party, taken against those BJP leaders who victim-shamed and insulted the rape survivors? Like the BJP MLA from Bairia, Surendra Singh, who had this to say about the Unnao rape case:
I am speaking from psychological point of view, no one can rape a mother of 3 children. It is not possible, this is a conspiracy against him (Kuldeep Sengar). Yes, maybe her father was thrashed by some people but I refuse to believe rape charge.BJP MLA Surendra Singh
What action has the BJP taken against MLA Surendra Singh? None.
Then, there’s the BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh, Nandkumar Singh Chauhan, who said that Pakistani agents are responsible for the protests carried out in defence of the alleged rapists in Kathua.
No, Prime Minister, they weren’t Pakistani agents. They were lawyers and members of the Hindu Ekta Manch, ably helped by BJP ministers.
Did the BJP condemn Nandkumar Singh Chauhan’s wild, evidence-less conspiracy theory? Did the BJP distance itself from his ridiculous comment? Nope. No response.
So, dear Prime Minister, next time you decide to tell the world that you do not politicise rapes, remember, the facts don’t quite back you.
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