SC right to reverse oppn Bihar MLA’s expulsion for ‘parodying Nitish’. Best antidote to bad joke is a good joke
The top court’s judgment reversing the expulsion of a Bihar legislator is not just correct but also has a wider application. In 2024, an assembly ethics committee expelled RJD politician and opposition chief whip Sunil Kumar Singh from the chamber for allegedly imitating and parodying Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. SC ruled the decision to expel was “highly excessive and disproportionate”. Its observation that penalty is not a tool for “retribution” is relevant not just in the current judicial context, but across politics and govts.
That Singh stayed expelled for seven months was extraordinary. So long was his absence that Election Commission was even set to organise a bypoll for electing a new member. SC quashed this notification too. It also said Singh’s remarks were “abhorrent” and “unbecoming of a member of the council”. It’s true that crudity of a certain kind is increasingly popular in political discourse. The lowering of standards is evident from Parliament to assemblies. Grievously and genuinely offensive remarks, often far worse than those allegedly made by the Bihar MLA, are made in assemblies across the country, without an eyebrow raised. That’s why hardly any legislator has ever been pulled up for making the worst kind of remarks against women.
Lost in this sordid list, is the fact that wit is an art long lost in politics. From good-natured ribbing to sharp satire to hilarious takedowns, fellow politicians, cartoonists and caricaturists are expected to be unsparing of politicians. But now, there are too many holy cows countrywide – men and women politicians who get peeved or much worse when laughed at. Their responses range from jailing cartoonists to expelling legislators. Jokes, jibes and jabs should be part and parcel of netagiri. Surely a thick skin is a politician’s second nature. Instead of simply their girths expanding, politicians must try to expand their minds, to accommodate all manner of criticism, whatever form it may take. If it is crude, raise the bar. Get your comeback via a witty reply to an offensive remark. A good joke at the cost of your political rival is the sweetest revenge.
This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
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