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Sadhvi hate speech: BJP accuses Opposition of double standards

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Every time there is a storm over an abusive comment, the political class takes a stroll down the memory lane of derisive remarks, underlining the idiom that people living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Union minister Niranjan Jyoti's comments have brought into focus foul language used by politicians cutting across party lines. Just when Parliament was reeling under the storm sparked by the BJP leader's remarks at a rally in the Capital, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is among the Opposition parties gunning for the minister, sprung her "bamboo" tirade at political opponents.

BJP, which has been facing Opposition ire in Parliament over Jyoti's speech, on Friday latched on to Banerjee's words to launch a counter attack. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who held a press conference at party headquarters, accused the Opposition of "ugly double standards" and asked the Congress, Left and JD-U leaders if they were ready to bring a censure resolution against Mamata.

Banerjee, at a rally in Jalpaiguri, had said in Bengali: "...they could do nothing themselves, and are now looking at ways to stick a bamboo up the backside of those who are trying to do something".

"I ask Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi what they have to say on the words used by Mamata Banerjee against Amit Shah, which I cannot even speak here. I don't think my standard allows me even to read it out," Prasad said.

He also reminded the Congress of the "maut ka saudagar" remarks made by Sonia Gandhi to attack Narendra Modi, who was then the Gujarat CM. "Our minister apologised. After what Sonia Gandhi said, did she apologise?"

The government, which has rejected Opposition demand for Jyoti's resignation, has been citing instances when leaders of Congress (Beni Prasad Verma) and others like TMC's Tapas Pal have used foul language to emphasise that others were as guilty of using foul language.

In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, the BJP had taken strong exception to comments by Congress leaders while attacking Modi. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi compared Modi to Adolf Hitler while former union minister Salman Khurshid had called BJP's prime ministerial candidate "napunsak" at a rally in Farrukhabad.

"Niranjan Jyoti is not the first person to use such language.... Those opposing have been equally guilty in the past. The question is what lessons are being drawn from this... No party can stand up and say it is a symbol of rectitude," said sociologist Dipankar Gupta.

In last year's assembly elections, the Election Commission had taken serious note of the "plummeting" levels of political discourse and warned of action for repeated use of "intemperate and abusive" language while campaigning.

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