On serious note, can we regard it as mere a reaction of a leader or is it legitimisation from top to all fringe groups indulging in all such activities?

Have read the entire Cong manifesto. Did not find any reference to Hindu-Muslim divisive politics. Instead manifesto talks of protecting ‘personal freedoms’ and rights of ALL communities, including LGBTQs. ‘Encourage reform of personal law through consultation’ says manifesto.…

A question about who/which party did not attend the inauguration of temple at Ayodhya is a reasonable indication of how religious sentiments will be exploited in this election.

New research quantifies the “Arnab” effect: arxiv.org/pdf/2404.01329…

- 60+% of debates feature pro-BJP/anti-opposition content
- Social media support primarily comes from BJP supporters
- Reciprocal flow of information between TV show & social media led by BJP leaders/influencers

Killing the textbooks by a thousand cuts...

Six years in jail WITHOUT TRIAL--shows how vindictive the state can be, but reflects on our judicial system too.

This is fascinating: Of the 417 candidates announced by the BJP thus far, 116 or 28% came from other parties. 37 alone came from the BJP’s arch-rival Congress Party.

People leaving the Congress is not the real news; so many congresspersons wanting Congress to be BJP is real news.

Consistent use of coercion & weaponizing investigative agencies have made political analysis irrelevant. What does one analyze in authoritarian regime? Yet: How much of current authoritarianism in India is necessitated by Hindutva and how much is a result of personality cult.

>Mumbai police book Ajit Pawar, ED follows
>Ajit Pawar joins the MVA govt
>Mumbai police close the case
>MVA govt falls
>Mumbai police reopen the case
>Ajit Pawar joins NDA
>Mumbai police close the case again, ED case infructuous
I report
indianexpress.com/article/expres…

A useful reminder as to why many may be defecting to join the BJP. Coercion trumps competition--all through the decade. Accuse and accommodate.

🚨 Alert 🚨 Ministry of Defence chooses RSS affiliates, BJP leaders, and other Hindutva groups, such as Sadhvi Rithambara, to run 60% of new Sainik Schools. These are to train children for India’s armed forces. Astha Savyasachi reports for the reporters' collective
reporters-collective.in/trc/centre-han…