In her pointed words against demonetisation West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Today I am taking a pledge. I might live or die, but I will remove PM Modi from Indian politics.” By saying these words she became the third prominent leader in Indian politics to claim that she could be killed by someone in the recent political scenario. First was Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and second was PM Modi.
Arvind Kejriwal targeting the Centre and BJP said, “People in power can do anything, they can even kill me.” This video was released in August on social media during the arrests of AAP MLAs and the controversy surrounding MP Bhagwant Mann.
In November, PM Narendra Modi, while addressing an audience in Goa about demonetisation said, “I am looting their 70 year corrupt earnings, they will destroy me, they can kill me.”
If our PM is not safe, then who is safe in this country? The CMs of Delhi and West Bengal have Z-plus security. Every year a hefty Rs. 32.89 crore of taxpayer money is spent to protect VVIPs. According to a 2012 report of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, around 47,557 personnel are protecting 14,842 VIPs across the country. With the population of 1.252 billion people in our country, we have 3 cops for each VIP and 1 cop for 761 citizens. If we go by the words of our leaders, even after providing SPG (Special Protection Group) commandos and spending taxpayer money, we are not able to make our leaders feel secure. All the effort and hard work of common people and security personnel are going to waste.
Politics Of Death
When a leader announces that they may be killed or someone is plotting against them because they are fighting for a noble cause, it serves two purposes directly. First, gaining the trust of followers and sympathy among people. Second is crucial because it works only if the leader dies. If a leader dies after announcing in public that they are facing death threat, it will not matter if the cause of death is natural, an accident or even an assassination. The purpose of those words are fulfilled as people will see the death as an assassination. All party members will use this word to bash the opposition. The leader would die as a crusader who fought against injustice and died for the cause.