REPORTER’S DIARY: Political colours mar the time of gloom

CHENNAI: The State BJP seems to have no inhibitions in exploiting every situation in an albeit futile attempt to tilt the political scale to its advantage.

The demise of teenage footballer Priya offered a perfect recipe for the BJP, which deputed its envoys all decked up in signature saffron shawls to make its presence known. State chief of the sports cell of the BJP, Amar Prasad Reddy, accompanied by a few non-descript party men, were spotted wearing bright saffron shawls even while placing a wreath on the mortal remains of the student.

Barely an hour ahead of his visit, another BJP member, racer-turned politician Alisha Abdullah, who made a recent media statement that women could escape rape by hurling abuses in Hindi at sexual predatorsin Hindi-speaking states, also sported saffron shawls, which rightfully irritated mourners there. A few friends and relatives openly wondered if they had come to console the family or campaign for election.

It looks like the BJP has developed a habit of making undesirable political appearances at not so favourable occasions. The saffron party was at the receiving end of similar criticism a few months ago when its State party chief K Annamalai attempted to score political brownie points at the mourning of a martyred soldier, an audio of which later surfaced much to the embarrassment of Kamalalayam.