Hate speeches, personal remarks by leaders not good for healthy democracy: Rajnath

STATE TIMES NEWS

Patna/New Delhi: Concerned over the deteriorating political discourse in the country, senior BJP leader and union minister Rajnath Singh has said elections shouldn’t be fought and won by spreading hatred among people and there should be no place for “bitterness and acidic remarks” in a healthy democracy.
He also expressed confidence that the NDA will win the Bihar elections and asserted that the exit of the Chirag Paswan-led LJP won’t impact the poll prospects of the ruling alliance. Singh also rejected allegations of any hidden understanding with Paswan’s party, saying the BJP believes in fair politics and doesn’t play with the trust of the people.
Chirag and his party would have their own reasons for leaving the alliance. But I don’t think LJP would have any impact on the ruling BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar assembly polls. Our alliance will win the elections and form the next government in the state, he said.
When pointed out that Paswan in his election campaign was only attacking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and not the BJP, Singh said, Personal animosity is not good for healthy politics. It should be avoided and I myself also don’t practice such politics.
The former BJP president also termed as baseless the allegations of a hidden understanding between the BJP and the LJP. BJP believes in fair politics and doesn’t play with the trust of the people, he said.
Expressing concern over hate speeches and personal remarks being made against each other by leaders of all political parties, Singh said there is no place for hatred in healthy politics and elections should not be contested and won by spreading hatred among people. I myself never resorted to such tactics, he said. Bitterness, acidic remarks and personal attacks against each other in speeches should be avoided. It is not good for a healthy democracy. Rather, there should be discussion, debates and even arguments on issues of public interest, he said.
Singh, who has addressed more than a dozen political rallies in Bihar and is scheduled to address many rallies in the coming days, said the response he witnessed in his public meetings is highly indicative that the BJP-JD(U) alliance will win the elections in the state.