My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Vadra Land Deal Case : A hot election issue By  Deepak Parvatiyar October 11, 2014 This is one such case that involves high and mighty – Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra!  His alleged involvement in controversial land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan had been a hotly discussed issue. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ubiquitously termed it as ‘Damadgate’ a la ‘Watergate’. Narendra Modi, whenever in a campaign mode, has been quite acerbic in his remarks on this issue. Image Credits:  Last Emperor The immediate provocation for Modi to rake up the issue of Vadra land deals now once again at his elections rallies in Haryana which faces assembly elections on 15th October, was the report that the Congress government of Haryana had  cleared a land deal between Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF. Modi alleged the State Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was “pressurised from the top (Congress leadership) to tak...

Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly Polls: Multi-Cornered Contests By  Deepak Parvatiyar October 10, 2014 Can the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) redo its Lok Sabha elections performance in the  Assembly polls in Maharashtra  and Haryana? Like the General Elections, the party is indeed banking on the anti-incumbency factor in these two Congress-ruled states and trying to rake it up by making corruption a poll issue. It hopes a fruitful piggyback ride on its star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma and oratorical skills. Modi is already campaigning hard and has addressed scores of election rallies in the two states and is scheduled to address many more. But can his magic work again this time too? General Elections and Vidhan Sabha Elections :  Polls Apart Undoubtedly Modi’s rallies fetch crowd but aren’t the dynamics of state elections more localised than the General Elections? None other than the BJP itself knows it better. After all, it h...

Maharashtra Splits : A Political Drama By  Deepak Parvatiyar October 8, 2014 What type of right-wing political posturing is going on after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena snapped their 25-year-old ties last month over the issue of seat sharing in Maharashtra that goes to poll on 15th October? Charges being Traded by BJP-Shiv Sena Consider these charges being traded by the Shiv Sena and the BJP now : You may also like to read Maharashtra Elections Maharashtra Candidate List The Shiv Sena holds the BJP responsible for the break-up of the alliance, accussing it of ‘backstabbing’ the Sena. Balasaheb’s son and the present Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray compares Prime Minister Narendra Modi – the BJP’s star campaigner – with Afzal Khan (a 17th Century General who was defeated by Shivaji)! The BJP accuses the Sena of “targeting” Modi because, as senior BJP leader from Maharashtra and Union minister Prakash Javadekar claimed, “they (...

Narendra Modi’s US Visit: India’s Arrival in the Big League By  Deepak Parvatiyar October 1, 2014 The rather impromptu decision by the American President Barrack Obama to accompany Modi to the Martin Luther King Jr memorial to pay homage throws ample light on the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. Reports suggest that Obama’s decision to join Modi was a last minute after-thought. Obviously, such a gesture by Obama, who had preferred to meet Modi at the very last leg of the latter’s visit, speaks volumes about Modi’s growing international stature. You may also like to read Official tours of Narendra Modi More blogs on Modi Books written by Narendra Modi Obama-Modi Exuded Warmth Obama’s yet another gesture to greet Modi in the latter’s mother tongue Gujarati with  ‘Kem Chho’ (How are you?) and Modi’s response in English –“Thank you, Mr President”, too goes well with their joint vision statement called “Chalei...

The Qualities Required in a True Leader By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 30, 2014 What can one say about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Indian-Americans at the packed Madison Square Garden in New York? It was telecast live for the people back home and his spin doctors had worked overtime to make it a grand affair. None had ever witnessed such a grand spectacle by any other Indian Prime Minister in foreign land – of all the places in America! The excitement that his over an hour long speech – extempore and direct – aroused reaffirmed Modi’s reputation as a gifted orator. His supporters deliriously kept chanting – “Modi, Modi, Modi…” – reminiscent of Modi’s innumerous election rallies in the run up to the May General elections – where such a crowd frenzy was a common scene back home! Modi and Obama: Charismatic Leaders Obviously, Modi does have a penchant for doing things in style and appears to pay attention to every minute detail. He seems to have a nat...

AAP : Reasons behind Skipping Maharashtra Polls By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 29, 2014 After its decision against contesting elections in Haryana, the Aam Aadmi Party has now decided against contesting state elections in Maharashtra too! While the party completely withdrew from contesting the state elections in Haryana, in Maharashtra – the home state of its estranged ideologue Anna Hazare – it has been a ‘return of the native’! The AAP seems to be back to its roots to do what it does the best – to hold demonstrations. It plans meetings and street plays so as to “expose” corrupt candidates and to take to the streets to protest against the “menace” of black money, alcohol and other bribes to buy votes in the state. Why should a political party shun elections? Doesn’t it sound strange for a political party to decide against contesting in elections – the most sacred ritual of democracy? How can one explain this rather unique phenomenon? You may also like ...

Narendra Modi’s Speech at the UN General Assembly By  Deepak Parvatiyar September 28, 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon almost all major issues confronting the world in his maiden about 35-minute speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. On hindsight, it did appear to be multi-focussed, but in totality succeeded in conveying one strong message – the arrival of an assertive India at the centre-stage of world politics! Consider these points that he made in the course of his speech: “I am … mindful of the expectations of the world from 1.25 billion people. “India is part of the developing world, but we are prepared to share our modest resources with those countries that need this assistance as much as we do. “India is a country that constitutes one-sixth of humanity; a nation experiencing economic and social transformation on a scale rarely seen in history. “Every nation’s world view is shaped by its civilization and philosophical trad...