If Mohinder Amarnath, a brilliantly plucky cricketer and a crashing bore as a commentator, was a political pundit, he would surely have said ‘politics is a funny game’ every half an hour in the run-up to the elections. Just up the fun rate a few thousand times as pundits and politicos take stock of the level of illegality of Snoopgate, as Amit Shah’s alleged (mis)adventure in 2009 has come to be labelled.

While the story does not need a retelling – Amit Shah, then minister of state for home under Narendra Modi, purportedly getting the anti-terrorism squad, the state IB and crime branch to keep a woman under surveillance, as allegedly revealed by tapes handed over to the CBI being the crux of it – what needs to be kept in mind is the difference between politics and realpolitik. The first is how it ought to be, the latter how it really is on ground. Not to say the latter is predominantly significant in our everyday life and the value of the former zilch – never. What it means is the practitioners should mind the difference and get on with their business, whatever it is, rather than release more hot air in the ecosystem.

Surveillance is par for the course in a globalised world, as the prime minister’s office (PMO) realised to its happy surprise while learning of the US government’s act of eavesdropping on 35 world leaders. "The prime minister doesn't use a mobile phone and he doesn't have (a personal) email account.... We have no information and no cause for concern," the PMO spokesperson said late October after UK’s Guardian newspaper outed the report that left German chancellor Angela Merkel, among others, outraged.

And since listening in with such proficiency is still the mandate of the big guys (apparently countering USA’s intel and purportedly eavesdropping on other world leaders) surveillance has taken a whole new, almost Bollywoodesque shape in most parts of India, where state intel agencies still mess up with most inputs.

So, first, there’s little for the Congress, BJP, Left, Samajwadi Party and other leaders to see red over reports that Amit Shah, Modi’s Man Friday, purportedly ordered surveillance (primarily the “peechha karo” pattern, as those conversant with Hindi films would know) of a person. Now, as many of us might agree but would find it slightly unpalatable to eject, the issue became controversial because the ‘target’ was a woman. Would it have been half as saucy if it involved Shah (allegedly) ordering tracking of a man?

Politicians of all colour and shade should realise it happens in every state, under every government, which is not to say it is alright and condonable but plain reality.

Second, if the netas are frothing at the mouth only to get some additional votes in the ongoing state assembly and upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as they obviously are, they should realise individual freedom and liberty matters just a teeny-weeny bit for us, Indians, beyond a point. Growing up with MTNL/BSNL phones that made so much noise as to make every phone call suspect of being tapped by a whole army of tap-dancers (was “cross-connection” an India-only phenomenon?), we simply do not bother whether our phones are tapped or emails read. Otherwise the unique identification (UID) – or Aadhaar – scheme, which, if implemented in its fullest, is supposed to know every little bit of info about us, would have triggered a revolution.

So, dear netas, cool it, beat it and focus on real issues like jobs, income, roads, toilets and a thousand and one issues that are more important than being snooped on. No one has made much from issues where the 'victim' has made no complaint, in which case there is no 'case' (though all this changes the moment she makes a public statement – either this way or that).

Third, as the BJP, obviously in a spot to answer the why and how of the alleged transgression, says, it could be a silly dirty war in the run-up to the big one for the Lok Sabha elections next year. A veritable ‘tu tu, mein mein’ as parties try to outdo each other in finding out how the other, while administering another state, has misused the police, state infrastructure et al.

“If personal attacks begin, Congress has many skeletons in its cupboards and it will have nowhere to hide," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. Is the party still waiting for personal attacks to “begin”, after its PM candidate turned “Shahzada” from a common to a proper noun, and mocked at the said shahzada’s mother’s treatment abroad for a political pitch? Earth calling Mars, Mr Javadekar!