Surgical strike on Old City: Bandi Sanjay

• TBJP chief indulges in dangerous tactics to polarize the society
• Political observers shocked at the reckless statement

Hyderabad: TBJP president Bandi Sanjay said if the BJP was given the mandate in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections, his party would go for surgical strike in the old city. These provocating remarks coming from a leader of the national party that is running the government in the Centre came as a rude shock. The BJP leader may have meant that his party would go for political surgical strike. But it is sure to send wrong signals at this juncture.

Sanjay has been indulging in strong statements in harsh language attacking Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). That was not objected to because KCR himself is known to use harsh language while criticizing his opponents. Political observers felt that at last one politician has arrived on the scene who can match KCR in pungent statements.

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But the statement made by Sanjay, the Karimnagar MP, has gone too far. Saying that his party would conduct surgical strikes means he was comparing the old city of Hyderabad with Pakistan. He may have intended to polarize the voters and gain from the division in the ensuing elections. But the elections come and go but the leaders are not expected to damage the relationship between communities on a permanent basis. These divisive politics would not help even the BJP.

 Some well-wishers of the party had taken this to the notice of the BJP national leaders with a request to stop the party’s state unit president from making such dangerous and divisive speeches. They told the central leaders that the anti-incumbency sentiment that is prevailing in the State is enough for the BJP to win. The saffron leaders need not speak recklessly to polarize the society and such tactics would not give dividends in Telangana State. The lackluster performance of the Congress and the negative sentiments about the ruling TRS would herald the BJP towards the goal, they explained.

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K. Taraka Rama Rao and others campaigning for the TRS have been asking the voters to choose if they want a peaceful Hyderabad or communally divided Hyderabad. Sanjay’s statement would make the people to think about their choice once again.

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