Modi’s silence on scams
August 10, 2015
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Published in elections.in (http://www.elections.in/blog/modi-silence-on-scams/)
At least two arguments are in
circulation to explain Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cryptic silence over the
scams and controversies that dog his government. First, that his silence is
premeditated and born out of calculations so as to prevent the trap laid for
him by the Congress-led Opposition; second, that he has been tightlipped so as
to nail his detractors within his own Bharatiya Janata Party.
Let’s discuss the second argument
first. The prominent names that figure in the scams are of those who are
considered Modi’s political adversaries within the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Hence a conspiracy theory emanating from the precincts of the South Block
cannot be dismissed either. Much is already written about how the victims of
the scams and their uncomfortable past equations with Modi could be a reason
for Modi’s studied silence on the issue even at a time when the Congress-led
Opposition has even paralysed the proceedings of the present monsoon session of
Parliament.
No doubt that External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan – the three important protagonists
of the various scams – are all in the soup not just because of an offensive
Opposition, but also because of a surprisingly reticent Prime Minister and his
alter ego, the BJP president Amit Shah, who have thus far left them alone to
fend for themselves.
Let’s consider the case of all these
players individually. Swaraj is implicated for ensuring the ‘fugitive’
industrialist and disgraced cricket administrator Lalit Modi received travel
papers to visit his ailing wife in Portugal from Britain. Raje is accused of
signing documents so as to ensure Lalit Modi’s stay in Britain. Both Swaraj and
Raje are even charged of dubious financial deals with Lalit Modi. Chouhan’s
name has been dragged into the multi crore Vyapam scam in his state, where
close to fifty persons have died mysteriously thus far. Though a case in the
Vyapam scam was lodged on July 7, 2013 – much before the BJP came to power at
Centre, Modi’s studied silence does leave Chouhan in a lurch.
It cannot be a coincidence that all
the above mentioned leaders had rubbed Modi the wrong way at some point in time
in recent past. Raje had ignored Narendra Modi and not invited him in her
campaign at Charbhuja in mid-2013. Swaraj’s proximity to the sidelined BJP
patriarch Lal Krishna Advani is all too well known (a media report even
suggested that Swaraj holds two senior leaders in the BJP to be behind the
whole controversy to discredit her). Chouhan was a serious challenger to
Modi as he too, aspired to be the BJP’s PM candidate before Modi clinched the
issue for himself in the last general election. Moreover, Chouhan had
reportedly even urged the then BJP president Rajnath Singh to offer the Bhopal
seat to Advani when the latter had decided to throw a fit about not wanting to
contest from Gandhinagar in Gujarat! Political commentators had interpreted the
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister’s move as an attempt to turn his state into a
“refuge for Modi baiters”!
Before dwelling more on the issue,
let it be clear that the BJP has unmistakably put in its weight behind these
leaders and vehemently defended them in face of an aggressive opposition that
is baying for their blood. There are two more BJP leaders whose resignations
are being fiercely demanded by the Congress — Chief Minister Raman Singh of
Chhattisgarh whose name is involved in alleged involvement in a Rs. 36,000
crore Public Distribution System rice scam, and Maharashtra minister Pankaja
Munde who faced much criticism for having cleared a grossly overestimated Rs.
206 crore worth tender for chikkis (for mid-day meal in schools), books, and
mats!
In all these cases, the BJP has put
up a brave front to present itself as a cohesive unit in face of the mounting
pressure and the Parliament logjam. The party’s crisis managers including Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley have indeed gone all out in their drive to blunt the
Opposition’s assault both in Parliament and outside it.
The reason is palpable – the BJP
will not like itself look faction-ridden and hence vulnerable to the
Opposition’s onslaught.
But wouldn’t Modi’s statement to
clear the air make much difference? Consider that his silence gave an
opportunity to even Advani to swipe at him by preaching that “For a politician,
to command people’s trust is the biggest responsibility. What morality demands
that is ‘rajdharma’ and need to maintain probity in public life”.
The question though is that doesn’t
the situation demand the Prime Minister to intervene at a time when one of his
senior Cabinet Ministers as well as senior party Chief Ministers are
implicated, at least to clear the logjam in Parliament?
Also consider the bad press his
silence has invited internationally that threatens to create an adverse public
opinion on his sincerity in tackling corruption. In its editorial on 12th July,
The New York Times opined that “The scam can only dishearten voters who voted
last year to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party
in the belief that he would end corruption…Mr. Modi needs to speak out against
these scandals now…”
But Modi, despite being a loquacious
person, seems more circumspect and guarded in the face of an adversity.
Remember how all these years he refused to utter a word when confronted with
questions on his controversial role as the Chief Minister in Gujarat riots of
2002? He had the impudence to even walk out of television shows whenever asked
uncomfortable questions on riots. Obviously, he knows how to remain selectively
silent on embarrassing issues. But is this a personal trait?
At hindsight, Modi today is, too,
experienced a politician to be drawn into controversies. But being the Prime
Minister, can he afford to remain silent on issues that paralyse the Parliament
proceedings? In recent past his strategy to adopt measured silence failed when
after remaining silent for three days in December last year, he was forced to
reprimand his minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti for her “Ramzaadaa…” comment, so
as to break the logjam in the Rajya Sabha — “The minister has apologised and
the House should gracefully accept that and carry forward its business in
national interest,” Modi had to plead then. (Jyoti had stoked a controversy
when she asked the voters in a BJP election rally in Delhi to elect Raamzaada
(sons of Lord Ram) and not “Haraamzaada” (“illegitimate sons”).
There was another instance when Modi
had to break his prolonged silence well after six months of the first of the
series of attacks on religious places in Delhi (There were at least five
attacks on Churches in the national capital between August last year and
February this year). This was only after none other a person than the US
President Barrack Obama stated in the course of his January visit to New Delhi
that Mahatma Gandhi would have been “shocked” by religious attacks in India.
Finally, it was on 18th February
that Modi ultimately broke his silence to assure Christian groups at a function
in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan that “”We cannot accept violence against any
religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government
will act strongly in this regard”.
This time again, Modi’s silence on
scams seems an expected trait of his persona but this may only be partial
truth. Hence, this brings to light the other argument on whether Modi’s silence
is premeditated and part of a well-thought-out strategy to blunt the opposition
parties.
Consider how the Congress has sensed
an opportunity to target Modi by engineering a logjam in Parliament over Vyapam
and Lalitgate. It has continuously disrupted Parliament’s monsoon session,
demanding resignations of Swaraj, Raje, Chouhan and Raman Singh as well. On 6th
July, the Congress party even posted pictures of Chouhan, Raman Singh and
Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan, along with Modi, with the caption: “Three corrupt
Chief Ministers, one silent Prime Minister”.
Obviously, the Opposition’s strategy
had been to drag Modi into the controversy and force him make a commitment. But
then, the question is that why shouldn’t Modi himself take the lead and clear
all airs, instead of giving an opportunity to the Congress to gain political
mileage out of his silence?
Already the parliament deadlock and
subsequent suspension of 25 Congress MPs by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan,
has provided much desired media space to the Congress – a rarity these days.
Besides, the suspension also helped the party garner the much required support
of some other Opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress, the
Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal United and the Left. The Congress-led
opposition has also got an issue to be played up in public.
Besides, Modi’s silence has also
allowed the largely mocked Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi an opportunity
to directly target the Prime Minister over the latter’s much touted “Na
Khaoonga, Na Khane doonga (Neither will I indulge in corruption nor will I
allow anyone else) comment. The BJP’s retort that “When Congress was indulging
in scams, then Gandhi was silent,” exemplifies nothing more than a tit-for-tat
approach – that nobody is above suspicion in today’s murky politics!
Apparently, the Prime Minister’s
media managers are now trying to give a whole new twist to the issue by drawing
an analogy between Modi and his immediate predecessor, Dr. Manmohan Singh –
that how unlike Manmohan Singh’s silence on his government’s corruption was
perceived to be a sign of weakness, while Modi’s silence on the Lalit-Sushma
row is strategic!
Still, when it comes to any
strategy vis-a-vis the Opposition’s effort to drag him into the controversy,
Modi needs to decide what comes first – Nation or expediency! As for the
Congress and other Opposition parties, it seems to have initially won the
battle of wits by successfully laying a trap for Modi that places him in a
Catch-22 situation – – If he acknowledges the scams, he divides his party.
It is no surprise, therefore, that
the BJP wants a debate on the issue of culpability of its leaders and refuses
to concede the Opposition’s demand to sack them. While investigations too, are
going on, Modi might prefer to remain silent till these scams related
investigations are over. The monsoon session of Parliament, in any case, is as
good as over!
- See more at:
http://www.elections.in/blog/modi-silence-on-scams/#sthash.9dHaCF8Q.dpuf
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