The intellectually bankrupt Indian Left
Raju Narisetti -
Monday, December 15, 2008 4:45 PM
Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at US President George W. Bush during a press conference, in what is typically an act that ranks among the worst possible insults in the Arab world, was at least making a direct--and risky--public political statement about Iraqi deaths following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Indeed, the television journalist whose twin shoe attack, while apparently shouting "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog.This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq," forced Mr Bush to duck during a press conference, is now in detention, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric act" and faces serious charges for attacking a visiting President. (see video of the incident)
The Iraqi reporter who threw shoes at George Bush
(Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tries to block a shoe as US President George Bush takes evasive action)
But back in India, here is what a rather opportunistic Sitaram Yechury, the Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), had to say as he desperately tried to hog some headlines and find ways to grab political capital from the incident:
Because of PM, shoes hurled at the Indian people too: Yechury
"Because of the Prime Minister, the shoes were hurled at the people of India too, a top CPI(M) leader said today while reacting to the lobbing of shoes at US President George Bush in Baghdad. "The Prime Minister had told Bush that all the people in India love him. It is because of this statement, the shoes have been hurled at the people of India too," Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters who sought his comments on the incident." PTI
I don't know about you but the Romantic Realist thinks perhaps it is time India's voters gave the Left the boot it deserves, come national elections. If nothing else for this kind of opportunistic nonsense from its leaders, long bereft of any real policy positions.