First it was Karnataka. Now it is Gujarat. The media has caught BJP legislators red handed allegedly watching porn on their cell phones in the assembly while it was in session. This reportedly has outraged the nation. This has aroused fierce criticism and shock across the entire media. I am hugely, hugely puzzled. I fear I am completely out of touch with contemporary India. 

My first puzzle is about the extent of public outrage. India today is the victim of crime, murders, rapes, mega corruption, public lynching, looting, misgovernance and all kinds of mayhem that are every day splattered across the pages of daily newspapers. People seem to take all this in their stride with admirable aplomb. But they are enraged by legislators watching porn. But nowadays even children watch porn on the Internet when their parents are away. So is the outrage caused by the fact that porn was being watched or by the fact that it was being watched in the assembly?

If it was the latter case should not a lenient view be taken because watching porn arguably might be diverting legislators from throwing shoes and chairs at each other while mouthing expletives during typical assembly debates? This raises the puzzling question why legislators watch porn in the assembly instead of in some other private place where they might not be disturbed. Surely our redoubtable legislators have access to privacy when they require it? 

Ah! That raises the question about what kind of authority they exercise within the confines of their homes. Can it be that they fear being caught watching porn at home for fear of being discovered by their wives? Can it be that they are so terrified of their wives that even the attempt to watch porn in their locked private rooms at home is unthinkable? 

If domestic environment has caused this crisis it is not likely to end soon. It may be noted that in both cases the legislators belong to the BJP. Generally a crisis within the BJP is resolved through an intervention by the RSS. In this particular case the RSS will be helpless. As is known most senior RSS leaders are lifelong bachelors. They would not be having a clue about how to deal with this crisis. I guess the people must resign themselves to wrestling with this huge crisis for days to come and overlook murders, rapes, corruption and crime as these escalate across the nation.