The BJP, seemingly oblivious to the ancient adage 'Once bitten, twice shy', continues to recycle its tactics. Despite the ample response to Mr Modi's diatribe in Banswara, Rajasthan, one would have expected a change in approach. However, the BJP's repetitive behaviour has stripped it of any class, as it persistently resorts to crass narratives, further tarnishing its image.

Recently, the PM swiped at Tejashwi Yadav for eating meat during the Chaitra Navratri when, in fact, nobody even bothered to look and blamed him for hurting Hindu sentiments. He then blamed Congress for distributing the nation's wealth to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children" and snatching away the women's mangalsutras (a necklace worn by married women) if voted to power. He was also kind enough to expound on the theory of the Muslims' priority claim to the nation's wealth, where he maliciously slanted Manmohan Singh.

Things did not stop there. Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath have set off a tug of war for who will emerge victorious in slandering the opposition. While Amit prophesied the implementation of Sharia, Adityanath was sure of Congress promising cow slaughter to be allowed.

Even before considering that Tejashwi consumed fish on the eve of Navratri, the nation is a melting pot of cultures. As Shashi Tharoor wonderfully puts it, true Hinduism does not micro-manage its adherents. If so, what is Mr Modi and his ilk preaching?

Modi's misquoted statement is from a speech Singh made on December 9, 2006, at the 52nd meeting of the National Development Council in New Delhi. The speech was about the Approach Paper to the XI Five-Year Plan, titled 'Towards Faster and More Inclusive Growth'. The paper elucidates that minorities (including Muslims) were falling behind the national average, and the focus was to bring them to par with the rest of the nation. So much for Muslims taking away the opportunities of the Hindus!

The latest in Modi's litany of sorrows is his attribution of Pakistani discipleship to Congress. Hilariously, his imagination has turned Chaudhry Fawad Hussain's post praising Rahul Gandhi into an unintentional exposé of Pakistan's wish for Shehzade to be in power. He fails to realise that his shenanigans will not win him any fans. Truthfully speaking, it is not improbable that these exploits have cost him some votes.

A quote attributed to Otto von Bismarck suggests that only nincompoops learn from their mistakes, while the wise learn from others'. Instead of fostering unity and progress, the party's leadership indulges in fear-mongering and polarisation, undermining the Indian democracy. As the electorate witnesses these tactics, the BJP risks alienating its traditional supporters and those seeking genuine governance and inclusivity. It's time for everyone to heed the lessons of its past missteps and embrace a more dignified and respectful approach to politics that genuinely reflects the nation's aspirations.