This refers to the interview with Shahnawaz Hussain by Siraj Wahab (Feb. 21). The BJP leader seems to be living in a different world altogether. A sycophant to the core, he did not even know how to cover up his party and leaders. The excerpts of the interview show that he was at best avoiding answering direct questions and quickly moved to his rhetoric and supported the government and his party without any basis. For instance, when asked about Vikram Singh beating up journalists, he just moved on by declaring that the attacker was not from his party.

Is the nation supposed to learn patriotism from the people of the Sangh Parivar whose hands are drenched with the blood of Mahatma Gandhi? There is a clear difference between patriotism and loyalty to the ruler. Whenever there is an attempt to obliterate this line, democracy will be under serious threat. The strength of democracy lies in the fact it should allow or rather encourage diverse opinion and voices.

When you listen to the speeches and views of BJP leaders and also anchors of some of the TV channels, you will definitely get a feeling that BJP is trying to create an environment of fear and threatening to punish anyone who rejects their ideology. The JNU episode is among the most recent of such incidents that prove this point.

Shahnawaz has contradicted himself at several places in the interview. On the issue of Dadri killing, I want to ask him, if the law and order is the responsibility of the state, did Modi, who was chief minister when Gujarat was burned and more than 2,000 people were killed in 2002, accept responsibility and resign?