Subramanian Swamy should be ashamed of his personal attack on Sonia Gandhi

A video clip is being widely shared on social media in which Rajya Sabha member and senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

This video doesn't seem to be new, but it has created a buzz on internet for the last two-three days and has received wider attention.

However, there has been no mention of it (video) in mainstream media despite a lot of whining about the fast deterioration in public discourse, particularly the vile misogynistic statements by other political leaders. 

Gandhi has been at the receiving end of sexist and racist abuses by her political opponents for several decades. None other than Prime Minster Narendra Modi, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2004, had called Sonia Gandhi a "Jersey Cow". Modi keeps referring her as “madam” and it is not out of respect, but as a jibe for her Italian origin.

In the past, the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan had likened Gandhi to Monica Lewinsky, saying “if Sonia was fit to hold public office, Monica Lewinsky could also be considered eligible”. Modi’s friend turned foe and VHP leader Pravin Togadia had called her an “Italian kutri (Bitch)”.

Gandhi’s refusal to be the prime minister of the country after leading the Congress party to a surprise victory in 2004, had a brought a temporary halt to these vicious attacks from her rightwing opponents, but not for long.

The rise of social media and its anonymity gave opportunity to many racists and misogynists to viciously target her with despicable personal attacks. Even political leaders, particularly Modi, targeted Gandhi and her son, Rahul personally in the campaign for the general election in 2014 again.

Less than two years back, Union minister Giriraj Singh had made a dreadful racist and misogynist comment on her, saying, "If Rajiv Gandhi would've married a Nigerian and Sonia Gandhi wasn't white-skinned, would the Congress have accepted her?" 

No one from his party or the government took him to task for this. Few months back, BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri, Chaudhary Babulal questioned the character of the Congress president by demanding the proof of Rahul Gandhi’s parentage.

Personal attack against Sonia Gandhi by BJP leaders has almost become a norm rather than the exception. The approach of new BJP leadership, unlike the Vajpayee- and Advani-era, seems to provide encouragement to these vile attacks of racists and misogynist nature. Voices against these attacks, even from the Congress Party, are also gradually getting muted due to its increasing frequency. Even mainstream media has accepted it as a new normal.

Among all the BJP leaders, someone who has made it almost a full-time profession to personally target Gandhi and her family is Subramanian Swamy. This recently nominated member to Rajya Sabha’s personal animosity towards her is reflected frequently in the use of his gutter language against her.

Besides playing his diabolic Hindutva card, Swamy’s only other source of political sustenance is drawn from overt advertisement of antipathy for Gandhi. He has not won an election for nearly two decades.

Swamy has taken Gandhi and others to court accusing them of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate of funds and properties of the National Herald newspaper. As a citizen of the country and being an opposition leader, there is nothing unusual about this judicial activism. However, he also repeatedly accuses Gandhi of involvement in the VVIP AugustaWestland copper deal without any hard evidences, but only because of her Italian origin.

Swamy’s diatribe against Gandhi is not only limited to accusation of corruption or confined to courtrooms, Parliament or press conferences only. Swamy has made a sickening habit of targeting Gandhi with vicious personal attacks in worst possible language in media and in selected gatherings of faithful.

He regularly uses his Twitter handle with 3.7 million followers to slander Gandhi. His massive following on Twitter is primarily due to his open hostility to Sonia Gandhi. Initially, he used to refer to Sonia Gandhi as vishkanya (poisonous girl) and in short VK. Then, he changed the name to Tadaka (demoness in the epic, Ramayana) and in short TDK.

Last year, he had also repeated his old accusation against Gandhi of helping her sister to sell stolen Indian antiques in Italy.

He has not only made wild accusation against Sonia Gandhi, but also targeted many of his political opponents, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of getting drunk at an official function, but never been able to substantiate his charges.

He hurls abuses against adversaries without evidences. He is a habitual muckraker to say the least. 

However, the video clip of his slander of Sonia Gandhi, which has come out recently to wider notice not only clearly shows the filthy and misogynistic view of Swamy towards a female politician of foreign origin, but raises serious questions about the state of his mind.

It is not expected from any ordinary person, even if we live in the era of Modi, (Donald) Trump and (Rodrigo) Duterte. Over and above, Swamy is not a commoner or an anonymous internet troll, he is one of the 12 members of the Rajya Sabha, nominated by the president as he is considered to have special knowledge or practical experiences in literature, science, art and social service.

Article 102 of the Constitution clearly disqualifies someone with unsound mind to be a member of either House of Parliament. If Swamy’s this disgusting diatribe in a public gathering against a senior female politician without an iota of evidence is not sufficient enough to prove his unsound mind, then the country needs to take a serious health check for itself.

Also read: Forget gag order, Swamy says he will do a better job than Arun Jaitley