Both leaders of opposition have written a letter to the prime minister urging him to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and to include ladakh in the sixth schedule. While putting forth their request, they have repeatedly tried to remind the prime minister of his and his government’s own statements to the public and even the Supreme Court. It’s highly unusual for political opponents to request a prime minister to carry forward his own statements. For these statements are exactly the reason why they are opponents. Representing opposing ideologies, their statements are often diametrically opposite to each other. But Indian politics of late is an enigma. Parties and people cannot be identified or measured by their statements. Either they say what they don’t mean or they say different things to different people. The prime minister’s words have often been so assuring and inspiring high ideals that any opposition is impossible but that’s not everything he says or means. The prime minister asks his supporters not to commit atrocities on Dalits but maintains silence on Una, Hathras, Bhima koregaon or challenges to reservations. He recalls his childhood friend Abbas and also says clothes identify rioters “kapdon se pehchan sakte hain “. But the greatest threat is his absolute dissociation of his words and actions. He would contest elections on doubling farmers incomes and reduce it to Kisan samman of 500 rupees per month. He would talk of creating 2 crore jobs annually and leave 1.5 million posts unfulfilled. Similarly on Jammu and Kashmir, he would reiterate his commitment to restoring statehood on every occasion and get his followers to blame the Supreme Court for forcing an election to the toothless assembly. He has left the opposition incapable of formulating any stand of its own. Rather they can only parrot his statements as they would never know whether to target his words or actions and worst, his silence.
