The recent circulation of a fake notice attributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not merely an isolated act of mischief. It is part of a broader, troubling trend where lies and deceit are weaponized for political gains, a tactic perfected by those who benefit from chaos and confusion. Since 1996, political engineering has become an insidious tool in the hands of miscreants, whose guiding slogan appears to be: “If you cannot convince, then confuse.”The viral notice, which the BJP has categorically denied, is yet another example of how falsehoods are disseminated with the intent to mislead the public, manipulate perceptions, and tarnish reputations. Those behind such acts are not merely engaging in political competition; they are deliberately undermining the fabric of democracy by distorting the truth and fueling distrust in institutions.But who are the real beneficiaries of this political engineering? They are the very individuals and groups who stand to gain from the erosion of clarity and trust. These miscreants thrive in an environment where facts are blurred, and narratives are hijacked. Their survival depends on public confusion, as it distracts from their failures and keeps the populace engaged in endless debates based on half-truths and lies.The filing of an FIR against the culprit behind the fake notice is a welcome step, but it must not end there. The roots of this problem are far deeper. The forces responsible for propagating these lies are often linked to a larger machinery that thrives on division and discord. These are not just petty mischief-makers; they are the beneficiaries of the very confusion they create, using disinformation as a political tool to engineer outcomes in their favor.It is time to expose these miscreants for what they truly are — enemies of the truth and saboteurs of democracy. They operate under the guise of freedom of speech, but their real aim is to destroy any semblance of integrity in political discourse. By flooding the public domain with falsehoods, they ensure that the truth is lost in the noise, and the people are left grappling with doubt.In a democracy, disagreements and debates are healthy, but they must be based on facts. When confusion replaces clarity, when lies are paraded as truth, it is not just the political opponents who suffer; it is the entire nation. The public must be vigilant against such tactics and demand accountability from those who spread misinformation for personal or political gain.The BJP’s response, urging citizens to rely on verified sources for information, is a step in the right direction. However, more must be done to inoculate society against the viral spread of lies. In the age of instant communication, the responsibility lies not just with political parties but with all of us. We must be discerning, questioning the authenticity of every piece of information and refusing to be pawns in the game of deception.The old adage, “If you cannot convince, then confuse,” must no longer hold sway over our political landscape. It is time to dismantle the machinery of political engineering that has sowed division and discord for far too long. The truth, in its unvarnished form, must be our guiding light, and those who seek to obscure it must be held to account.The time for political engineering and the art of confusion must come to an end. Let us expose the miscreants, hold them responsible, and reclaim the integrity of our public discourse.
The Politics of Deception and the Art of Confusion
