If there were an Olympic sport for stooping low, the Indian opposition might just clinch gold every time. Case in point: the recent antics of Vivek Srivatsav of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who called for the court-martial of the Indian Army Chief. His crime? Performing a Hindu puja alongside Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. One would assume that in a democracy, respecting diverse traditions wouldn’t qualify as a felony. But, for some opposition members, logic and constitutional literacy are optional accessories.
This is not the first time the opposition has aimed their vitriol at the armed forces. Remember the RJD MLA who likened a former army chief to a “sadak ke goonda” (street thug)? Such comments would be unthinkable in most democratic nations, but in India, they seem to be the opposition’s go-to play. Perhaps they cannot come to terms with a democratically elected, popular prime minister who has led the BJP to three consecutive victories. Frustration often breeds irrationality, but the opposition’s strategy seems closer to a full-blown meltdown.
Unable to challenge the government on substantive grounds, the opposition appears hell-bent on dividing the nation. Their latest tactic involves pitting India’s 15-18% Muslim minority against the 80% Hindu majority. For decades, Hindus and Muslims have coexisted peacefully under the Indian Constitution, but the opposition’s divisive rhetoric threatens to unravel this harmony. By championing caste-based politics and indulging in blatant appeasement, they hope to chip away at BJP’s consolidated Hindu voter base. Ironically, this very strategy is backfiring, polarizing Hindus further and driving them closer to the BJP.
The Congress party, once the dominant force in Indian politics, now resembles a regional outfit clinging to remnants of its past glory. Their obsession with rewriting history to glorify a single family has been laid bare by social media and alternative narratives. For decades, school textbooks lionized Nehru while sidelining other freedom fighters like Subhas Chandra Bose. But with facts emerging from the shadows of “paid historians,” the Congress finds itself on the defensive.
Congress and its allies, such as the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, have perfected the art of hypocrisy. On one hand, they criticize the BJP for allegedly polarizing Hindus, yet they openly support demands like the caste census—a proposal dismissed by Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi in their time. Their opportunism knows no bounds, as they align with fringe voices maligning Hindu practices as equivalent to pandemics. Such rhetoric only fuels Hindu consolidation, as evidenced by voting patterns in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections versus subsequent state polls.
The Congress-led Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) managed to dent BJP’s absolute majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Yet, this pyrrhic victory has done little to mask their internal discord. Allies grumble about Rahul Gandhi’s dynastic leadership, while BJP continues to dominate the political landscape, winning crucial bypolls and retaining its edge in Uttar Pradesh.
If polarizing communities wasn’t enough, the opposition now trains its guns on the Indian Army. Criticizing the Chief for performing a puja is not just absurd but a dangerous precedent. The armed forces are among the most respected institutions in India, safeguarding its sovereignty and unity. To drag them into petty politics crosses the Lakshman Rekha of decency. Yet, opposition leaders like Srivatsav seem determined to make a spectacle of themselves on TV debates, where their ignorance often invites ridicule rather than respect.
In their quest for relevance, the opposition seems to be accelerating its descent into self-destruction. Instead of offering a credible alternative to the BJP, they appear more interested in undermining institutions, dividing communities, and engaging in rhetoric that alienates voters. Their inability to strategize beyond short-term gains has reduced them to a caricature of their former selves.
Perhaps the opposition would do well to take a step back and introspect. For now, their antics serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when frustration overrides foresight, and ambition trumps accountability.
