It has been a long, dark period of 22 years, and Gujarat is demanding answers from the BJP and from PM Narendra Modi. That explains why the BJP machinery is trying so hard to shift the discourse to all things imaginable under the sun – right from surgical strikes, to Pakistan, to Hafiz Saeed, to 26/11. On November 29th, the nation hung its head in shame as the BJP stooped to an all new low even by its abysmal standards – by fabricating an entry in the register book of the venerable Somnath Temple, to make it appear that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi identifies as a non-Hindu.
The BJP’s blatant lies are aimed at poisoning the discourse in the run-up to the Gujarat elections, and to deflect attention from the tough questions Mr. Gandhi has been asking him at every rally and on social media.
The failed Gujarat model which excludes farmers, youth, small business, women and only caters to a handful of chosen industrialist friends of Mr. Modi has been deflated by Mr. Gandhi’s consistent, incisive criticism. With no credible answers to offer in response, Mr. Modi has resorted to merely abusing the Congress’ present and past leadership, including the departed former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi. This only reflects Mr. Modi’s scant regard for the minimum civility expected in political discourse. In addition to this, he has attempted to use another favourite theme of his – one of perennial victimhood. The man who wears a suit worth Rs. 4 crores, expensive Italian glasses, and fancy designer clothes, has therefore suddenly resorted to invoking his reportedly humble origins. Notwithstanding his industrialist friends in all the right places and his jet-setting lifestyle, Mr. Modi has found sudden love for the common man and is calling himself one. As the Gujarat campaign further intensifies, expect more such diversions. Regardless of that, the pressing questions that Mr. Modi needs to answer remain the same – the Rafale scam, Jay Shah’s mercurial rise, Gujarat’s poor spending in the soft sectors over the years, the abysmal state of public healthcare and education. The list is long. We hope Mr. Modi will find the courage to address these questions soon. The people of Gujarat are tired of being peddled rhetoric and drama and are demanding some concrete answers.