PM needs to break his ‘maun’ by taking tough decisions for keeping his popularity intact: Bipin Sharma

The second year of the NDA rule seems jinxed with its senior ministers and leaders getting embroiled at a regular pace in some or the other controversies and scams.

Ditto is the case with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that too has been riddled with some controversy or the other. However since the NDA poses a more serious challenge to the combined opposition compared to the newbies ‘AAP’, the heat is indubitably on the ruling NDA government than on the AAP government.

On the expected lines, the Congress in particular, is going all guns blazing to corner the Modi led government at the Centre. The woes of ‘BJP’ in specific, which happens to be the principal party in the NDA alliance, are unending at the present as skeletons are tumbling out of the closet in a quick and a consistent pace much to the chagrin and dismay of PM Modi.

In the aftermath of all that has unraveled and emerged in the public domain in the last one month or so, the PM in all probability is bound to be a very ‘worried’ man as the inactions and misdemeanors of his senior party colleagues especially in the ‘LalitGate’ controversy and the Vyapam scam in MP are proving to be an antithesis of his promise of a honest and transparent government to the entire nation.

The stony silence of the otherwise outspoken PM is only complicating opposition and the media ample armoury to criticize the BJP, and the PM in particular.

The chorus is only growing by every hour for Modi to initiate action against tainted ministers. Any further delay in breaking the impasse, will only prove to be detrimental, and give fodder to his detractors to sully his ‘honest man’s’ image. The ‘Modi wave’ is undoubtedly at stake, and many believe that if the PM fails to intervene at this crucial hour, the popular wave that won him a landslide victory in 2014 Polls would be on the wane.

Frankly speaking, Modi has no choice, but to initiate a strong action against his erring ministers embroiled in some major scams.

For the grand old Indian National Congress (INC) party, the revelations against NDA and BJP ministers could not have come at a better time. The INC in all likelihood, sees the opportunity as no less than a ‘Blessing in disguise’, which is why myriads of Congress spokespersons both new as well as seasoned are making a beeline on the National Television in demanding stern action against the three top BJP lady ministers namely Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje, and Smriti Irani. For BJP, the present phase is no less than a literal nightmare, and a mere gaze at the body language of its spokespersons on the national television says it all. Well there are no choices for such spokespersons when they are entrusted with the job of defending the indefensible.

With the Bihar elections slated later this year, the Congress, along with regional satraps the RJD and the JD (U) have got a shot in the arm as they can now accuse the saffron party of being ‘corrupt’ too, besides their age old rant of labeling them as ‘communal forces’. The Congress party, and its heir apparent Rahul Gandhi have reasons to be elated with the sudden twist in the tale of BJP. Having been decimated in the Lok Sabha Polls as well as the Haryana and Maharashtra state elections, the Congress was desperately seeking to stay relevant after the poll debacle. The recent spate of scams of BJP ministers has infused newly found vigour and zeal into the Grand old party cadre, and their leaders and party workers are leaving no stone unturned in making the most out of this golden opportunity.

Albeit some opposition leaders are going over the roof in criticizing the scam tainted ministers from BJP, the stoic silence of some senior opposition leaders in the LalitGate is baffling, and undeniably raises serious doubts and questions.

It looks all the more dicey when certain senior political stalwarts from the opposition are just nowhere in sight to demand action against Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje etc. when ideally this happens to be their best bet in laying seize of the BJP fort.

With passage of time, the Vyapam scam is only getting more mysterious and murkier with more than 40 deaths having already been reported of those either accused or investigating the matter. Sardonically, the PM has not done anything to assure the well being and safety of those investigating the scam.

Reality has to dawn on Modi that as the PM of the country, it is his duty to assure the people of a free, fair and transparent enquiry failing which he would be no different from the other predecessors.

It all began with the explosive Times Now revelation of how country’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj facilitated the travel of fugitive Lalit Modi, an Enforcement Directorate accused. This story paved the way for the ‘Bure din’ (Bad Phase) for Modi led NDA as one after the other, different acts of impropriety of NDA ministers came to the fore. It soon came to light that Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje too had been aiding Lalit Modi during her tenure as the LOP in Rajasthan Assembly. Even more shocking was the revelation of her close business ties with him. Her mystic silence, and constant evasive stance got her only more ire from opposition and the media.

Maharashtra BJP Minister Pankaja Munde too was in the news for all the wrong reasons with the opposition blaming her for the alleged ‘chikki scam’. However unlike her seniors Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje, Pankaja was more forthcoming, and addressed the media queries at length. As a consequence, it helped her regain the confidence of the people and the media to a great extent.
The opposition sensing a strong prospect of putting all round duress on the ruling party vehemently demanded the sacking of HRD Minister Smriti Irani for having given false and inconsistent information about her educational qualifications. However Smriti’s confident answers coupled with the straightforward approach were eventually able to save the day for her.

The ball is now in the court of the Indian PM who has to not just come to the rescue of the BJP spokespersons who are presently at the receiving end, facing a harrowing time during TV debates and shows, but has to send a strong positive signal to the entire nation by initiating a SIT probe into the present scams. His prolonged silence will not only make the opposition more strong and resolute, but will also create more factionalism within his own party ranks.

By breaking his ‘maun’, and undertaking concrete action against the wrongdoer Ministers in his government, PM Modi would not just set a new precedence of governance, but will deter voices that ludicrously talk and insinuate about the re-emergence of the darkest era of Indian democracy i.e. the Emergency.