Indian Elections and Accusatory Rhetoric against Pakistan The ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) running for its continuous third term is yearning to crush down anti-incumbency sentiments, one way of doing this is playing Pakistan card. Dubious strategies comprising misinformation campaigns, pro-nationalist narratives, rising extremism, increasing hate towards Pakistan, endeavors to suppress voters, crushing the political opposition, self-fabricated stories, and growing apprehension for deceptive election tactics has been apportion of Indian electoral process. Pakistan card is very significant in Indian politics.
BJP always tried to make a harder line on Pakistan which resonates in an average Indian voter, making them suspicious of Pakistan. This binds BJP to carry anti-Pakistan discourse in their policies as well as in their election campaign to avoid wrath from voters. The anti-Pakistan sentiments has flared in India many a times thus, making Pakistan a subject of relevance in BJP’s elections manifesto.
In 2014, Bhartiya Janta Party underlined its commitment to address the refugee concerns from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) in its election manifesto. This trend resurfaced in 2019 with the Pulwama attacks and the stirred nationalistic emotions among the people. In another statement with a denouncing line of “go to Pakistan” over dissenting voices, BJP’s Yuva Morcha (Youth wing of BJP) censured Shashi Tharoor, a former minister for external affairs and a present Lok .
