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Analysis: Why Narendra Modi is on the defensive

Last updated on: September 3, 2011 09:54 IST

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Image: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

Modi has a real challenge if the allegations of corruption pick up momentum. Modi was struggling to improve his image with the minorities but now he will have to convince the majority that his deals were clean and he is above board, says Sheela Bhatt.

Two days back, L K Advani led the protest in the parliament complex against the appointment of former judge R A Mehta as the Gujarat lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has deployed the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership in New Delhi to argue his case in the political arena but he is doing few things in Gandhinagar that exposes his vulnerability.

He has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to recall the Governor. In a sensational act, Modi in his letter has made many serious charges against Judge Mehta. If any court approves Mehta's appointment then Modi will have egg on his face.

The BJP's contention is that for the first time, a Governor has acted arbitrarily while appointing the lokayukta without consulting the government. The BJP is calling it a murder of democracy. But now the Congress party is claiming that on August 18, Modi was all set to 'murder' democracy by bringing an ordinance that would have hurt the ethos behind the office of the lokayukta.

As per the Congress allegations, Modi wanted Governor Beniwal to sign the ordinance that would have changed the composition of the panel that appoints the lokyaukta in the state. According to Arjun Modhawadia, president of the state Congress, "Modi wanted to bring 'sarkari panel' to appoint the lokayukta. The double standard of the BJP is shocking."

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Image: Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal

State Law Minister Dilip Sanghani was not available for comment. In the Rajya Sabha BJP leader Arun Jaitely gave a spirited speech against the Manmohan Singh government's attempt to bring a weak Lokpal bill in which the government will have a majority say in the panel that would appoint the Lokpal.

The United Progressive Alliance government is facing the people's ire for trying to control the appointment of the Lokpal under the proposed act, but now, allegedly, Modi wants to do exactly same thing.

Modi claims that Governor Beniwal should have acted on the advice of the government before appointing the lokayukta. Shaktisinh Gohil, leader of the Opposition in Gujarat, says, "We have no doubt that the Governor is right in her action. The last three appointments of the lokayukta were done without the advice of the government. Why is Modi questioning it this time?"

"Modi, wants to do exactly the opposite of what Jaitley recommends Dr Singh to do in New Delhi," says the Congress leader.

Modhawadia says, "Modi is against Judge Mehta, who is an independent judge. He wants to appoint a judge who can be influenced by him."

But the Modi government, allegedly, wants to drop the chief justice's role in the process and have a role for the chief minister. The Modi government has neither denied nor confirmed the allegation.

Here, the significant issue is regarding following procedures set for the appointment of the lokayukta where Modi may have a valid point that can be sorted out by the courts. But why is Modi protesting so much against the violations of procedures only?

"The people of Gujarat are waiting for the lokayukta to be appointed by the constitutional functionary in accordance with the law," says lawyer Anand Yagnik. He says, "People don't want any further delay on account of the political war between Modi and the Governor."

Currently in Gujarat, the Congress party has become active and aggressive while Modi is on the defensive. His supporters are unable to answer why Modi is overreacting for violations of procedures?

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Image: Chairman of Tata group, Ratan Tata with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

What else is discomforting Modi?

Many of his critics say that thanks to the Right to Information Act, Modi and his government are facing many uncomfortable questions for allotting land to industry in Gujarat. One glance at local newspapers gives an idea that 'corruption cases' of the Modi government are in news, which was not the case since the last nine years.

At such a sensitive time, with assembly elections are just a year away, when the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team report on the involvement, if any, of Modi and his government in the communal riots of 2002 is with the court, when anti-incumbency has started setting in certain areas of the state and when Modi is doing everything to improve his image amongst the Muslims, he is determined to ensure that his political position remains strong to combat freshly-emerging charges of favours done to his favourite industrial houses.

His government's only defence against these charges so far is that the Modi government largesse is much less compared to what late Chimanbhai Patel-led government gave. Patel had formed government with the support of the Congress and later he joined the party.

Modi's critics say the Congress had also showered favours to attract investments. Then, the 'state favours' given to attract industrialists in late 1980s and early 1990s had crossed all limits. That time the allegation was that sum of Rs 50,000 crore was given as hidden favours in form of tax holidays to a handful of industrialists. The charges were discussed in the assembly too.

Now the Congress leaders are claiming that, "In the BJP rule, Gautam Adani, Sudhir Mehta of Torrent and Ratan Tata have benefited the most."

It's not that only the Congress leaders that are criticising Modi these days. Bhola Bhai Patel, president of the Gujarat Sahitya Parishad, also blasted Modi recently.

In an interview to a Surat-based daily, he said, "The rulers have become kings." Patel, a highly respected writer, says that in Modi's rule corruption is rampant (Anhi ketlu badhu khavay che). He has accused Modi of behaving like the dictator Napoleon. Patel has accused Modi of suffering from narcissism.

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Image: A supporter of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during a rath yatra in Ahmedabad
Photographs: Amit Dave/Reuters
Image: Gujarat CM Narendra Modi
Photographs: Raj Patidar/Reuters
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