The New Indian Express ·
Taunts that define the tone of political discourse in India
NEW DELHI: The dictionary of political taunts and personal attacks in India continues to expand, with new labels, slogans and one-liners entering public exchanges alongside expressions that have been in use for years.
Between 2014 and September 2026, debates that were once centred largely on development, governance, public policy and other issues considered important to the functioning of a democracy have increasingly included slang, taunts, sarcasm and personal attacks between the ruling party and the Opposition.
No one in contemporary Indian politics is entirely free from this style of attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, prominent BJP and Congress leaders, and leaders of other Opposition parties have used mocking epithets, invented phrases, regional idioms and rhetorical jibes against their political rivals.
