This is a normative resolution, so the burdens are equal. I’ll first respond to Pro’s claims and then build my own case.
A. Rebuttal
Pro first argues that India needs a government that can take bold decisions. There’s two issues with this claim. First, it’s not meaningful or substantive. Pro doesn’t explain what it means to take a “bold decision,” and why that kind of decision is a good thing. Second, it’s not unique to the BJP. It’s Pro’s burden of proof to explain why the BJP is more likely than any other political party to take these decisions if it wins the 2019 election.
Then, Pro argues that the government shouldn’t legislate to protect “particular sections” of society. That’s ridiculous. I argue that the role of government is the protection of marginalized groups within society – the only reason we accept the government’s legitimacy is for the protection of those who are weak. India has a history of discrimination – against women, against caste minorities, against religious minorities, and against the LGBT community. We need to fix that. Insofar as Pro concedes that the BJP doesn’t want policies that protect any particular groups, vote Con.
Third, Pro argues that infrastructure development is important. Many parties have comprehensive infrastructure plans, including the main Opposition party right now, the Indian National Congress. [1] Pro needs to explain why this is unique to the BJP.
B. Positive Arguments
The BJP government has undermined the protection of minorities. It has had a history of opposing the LGBT community. [2] The Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, has been known to make sexist remarks, suggesting gender-based curfews in colleges due to “hormonal outbursts” of women [3] and opposing paternity leave due to a patriarchal conception of gender roles. [4]
In addition, a BJP government means increased violence against religious minorities – because religious extremist groups are bolstered under the Hindu nationalist rhetoric of the BJP government, and because the BJP has been reluctant to condemn such activities. The BJP government has been complicit in violence before – consider the 2002 Gujarat riots. Martha Nussbaum explains, “There is by now a broad consensus that the Gujarat violence was a form of ethnic cleansing, that in many ways it was premeditated, and that it was carried out with the complicity of the state government and officers of the law.” [5]
[1] https://www.inc.in...
[2] https://www.firstpost.com...
[3] https://www.deccanchronicle.com...
[4] https://scroll.in...
[5] Martha Nussbaum, The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India’s Future
No one will accept this debate because they cannot argue with this fact.