you really need to study up on it. It is not about trying to disadvantage groups, it is all about using the identity of a group to defend any actions or positions they take. Worse is when it is applied to candidates for office because every disagreement with that candidate is taken instead as an attack on them because of their race, religion, sex, and orientation.
It is a shameless exploitation that the left has championed for many decades. Pitting one group against another and laying the bigot/racist card on anyone who suggest special rights for a particular class/identity are not warranted.
I agree that the left has its own form of bigotry that goes underchallenged for the most part, but the argument you're referring to is one of the most insidious and disingenuous the right espouses.
For the most part, the identity politics of the right have evolved from an explicit racism and sexism to an implicit one. The argument goes "as long as we don't explicitly mention race, sex, or ethnicity, we're ok," which isn't true. Voter ID laws are perfect example of this: they deny citizens of their constitutional right to vote without due process, in the absence of evidence for any systematic problems, and disenfranchise people based on socioeconomic status, and implicitly by race, but then complain when they're called on it, whining that the left has somehow shifted the goalposts. It's a sort of Bart Simpson defense ("I'm just walking around swinging my arms and if anyone happens to be in my way, it's their fault").
The essence of the Trump phenomenon to me seems to be the right getting tired of playing this game, of hiding the racism and identity politics they play. Trump just came out with it unapologetically, "saying it like it is" according to some of his supporters. I'm not saying everyone who voted for Trump did it for those reasons, but it was certainly a big part of it, especially during the primaries. I believe much of the mainstream right was not truly appalled by what he said, just the fact that he was so open about it. They distanced themselves from him when they believed it was politically harmful, and now are cozying up to him again when they realized it wasn't.
I know nothing of Indian politics but in the US would you not classify the infamous "southern strategy " the bedrock of the right's political philosophy that has been exploited since the 60's.
You think that just because I disagree with you I haven't looked into it? While what you are describing does sometimes happen, the idea that it's the primary mode of operation, or even a significant one outside the fringe of the left, does not match what I see.
People can, and do, discuss these issues without being called bigots or racists, people can, and do, attack minority candidates for their policies.
That said, if you disagree that people, regardless of race, religion (or lack thereof), sex, orientation, etc... deserve the same basic rights, damn straight the left will call that out.
This attempt to push this idea that the left is wrong for pointing out discrimination is an attempt to push fear into the hearts of the privileged. I am one of those classic straight while males that should apparently be so fearful - but I'm not, because I don't see this attack. We want to allow people the same rights we already have! How is that an attack? How is that 'special rights'?
There are no 'special rights' being granted - just the same rights you and I have. That isn't a cost to us, it lifts us all up.
Yes, there are the minority few who will claim any attack on a black person is because they are black - and that is wrong and gets called out in the rare case it happens. It is not a common or powerful viewpoint.
Yes, the right does try to disadvantage groups. Look at the voter suppression by closing polling stations in areas with high minority populations, look at the fight against marriage equality, against the right to choose. All of these are aimed at pushing certain groups (minorities, LGTBQ, women) down. Pointing this out and trying to help those people get or maintain the rights we already have (I can get out and vote, I can marry who I want) is not 'identity politics'.
Either you are buying into this fear - which you shouldn't, because this is a positive thing, or you just don't want your ability to discriminate to get taken away.
I'm not saying there are not people wrong on the left, or people who don't understand the issues and propose poor solutions - speaking out against those people doesn't make you a bigot. Discussing these things to understand them doesn't make you a bigot. We don't want people to be bigots, we are not pushing for that, but we can't tolerate the denial of people's basic rights. That's unacceptable, and we will not be 'shamed' by this crazy fear.
It is a shameless exploitation that the left has championed for many decades. Pitting one group against another and laying the bigot/racist card on anyone who suggest special rights for a particular class/identity are not warranted.