BJP’s fight against corruption is now playing out on the streets of the City Beautiful. Street theatre, an integral part of Indian tradition has staged a comeback in city’s political arena.
After invading the social networking platforms and marching through the streets to take their campaign against corruption to the city denizens, the BJP has now shifted its focus to traditional means to create awareness among the masses. And, its aim is clear, to use all potential means of communication to reach out to the voters both urban and rural. The street plays has of late become a valuable tool for the Opposition to pick apart former Railway Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and UPA for alleged involvement in corruption.
Aiming to convey a terse message about involvement of local MP in corrupt practices, the BJP has entrusted the onus of enacting street plays on its Art and Culture wing. From writing the script to enact the play, the members of BJP’s Art and Culture wing are toiling to disseminate party’s message, ideology and staging protest against corruption and local MP. In the recent past, the wing has organised seven street plays enacting the recent controversy of Railway Board Bribery Scam in which Vijay Singla, nephew of Bansal was arrested. The street plays titled Kalyugi Mammi Bhanjja and Yahan Sab Chalta Hai has been staged in the busy markets of the city.
Captivating spectator’s attention, the play draws a comparison between uncle-nephew duo Singla-Bansal and infamous mythological pair Shakuni-Duryodhana. Performing on the streets, a group of seven members shows conversation of Singla-Bansal who has supposedly overtaken Shakuni-Duryodhana in being even more infamous and corrupt that is beyond the reach of any Kalyug duo. From the discussion of duo about bribe money to phone calls exchanged, the play entertainingly portrays the infamous Railway Board Bribery Scam.
Bringing into the play the recent incident of Supreme Court calling Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as ‘caged parrot’, the BJP does not even spare CBI in its street theatre. Taking a dig at the CBI, performers named as ‘Parrot Singh’ and ‘Tota Ram’ enact as CBI officials trying to wipe out all the incriminating evidence against Singla and Bansal in the play. While talking to The Pioneer, Abhishek Sharma, chief of BJP’s Art and Culture wing said, “The wing has staged street plays in Sector 17 plaza, Shastri Market Sector 22, Grain Market in Sector 26, Colony of Sector 30, Mauli Jagran,Vikas Nagar and several other places in the city conveying the significant message of Pawan Bansal’s corruption to the public.”
He further said, “The street play intended to convey to the viewers that it is better late than never to take action now rather than becoming a victim of this corrupt duo of Pawan Kumar Bansal and Vijay Singla.” Sharma who has written the script of street play said, “The Art and Culture wing has roped in seven theatre students who are also party workers. These youngsters are performing across the city intending to expose the indecent politics of Congress and showing its true reflection to the general public.” “The street plays which has received huge applause from the onlookers, will be organised at more locations across the city in the coming days,” he added.
After the arrest of Bansal’s nephew Vijay Singla by the CBI for accepting bribe to fix plum position in the Railway Board, Chandigarh BJP had initiated an aggressive campaign against corrupt practices of Bansal and Congress. From starting a signature campaign to actively making use of social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the local party leaders has remained proactive to take their campaign against Bansal to the large number of people. To capitalise on the issue of Railway Board Bribery Scam which resulted in Bansal’s resignation from Cabinet Ministry, the party had also organised ten days long “Jan Jagran Abhiyan” to apprise the city denizens about the involvement of local MP in several scams. A pamphlet studded with hard-hitting slogans like Gali Gali mein Shor hai, Mama Bhanja Chor hai, Mama Bhanja ka Dekho Khel, loot Kar Kha Gaye Bharatiye Rail and details of Railway Board Bribery Scam were distributed to the city denizens by the BJP. local MP Bansal had resigned from the post of Railway Minister on May 10.