The recent social media backlash against Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha, a Chartered Accountant, has come in the form of his wife, actress Parineeti Chopra, taking a New Year photo with him wearing a ₹62,000 sweater.
The BJP and its supporters have attacked AAP leader Chadha’s image as the common man, but this is more about scoring political points than concern.
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Chadha’s job success and marriage to a celebrity obviously provide him with the wherewithal to buy high-end goods. Social media folks have pointed out the hypocrisy, pointing out that Modi himself was photographed in rich garments.
Such a case shows how petty Indian politics can be: personal issues are used for political mileage and other pressing issues are sidestepped.
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Furthermore, this is an example of a wider tendency in society towards scrutinizing public figures’ private lives without factoring in their financial contexts.
Scrutiny that does not distinguish between the wealth one uses personally and what they have achieved in the service of the people makes their positive contributions less discussed.
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The furore over Chadha’s sweater is a prime example of misplaced priorities in political and public discourse. It calls for elevating the conversation to matters of real importance and avoiding the temptation of petty criticisms.
The focus should be on the substantive issues and not on sartorial choices. This would lead to a more constructive and respectful public debate.
