Congress ' Focus And BJP ' s Paranoia !

 

BY R.K. MISRA

Does a red rag provoke a bull? No, it does not, for bulls are colour blind. It is the movement of the cloth that irritates them, causing them to charge. The idiom, however, lends itself to political adaptation.

When individuals and entities concern themselves with surface political conflicts, they make the mistake of the bull in the ring-of charging the cloth-and hasten their own decimation.

Headed for a 30 year long rule in Gujarat and half that time in the country, the BJP finds itself in precisely such a predicament in relation to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi . The worst in language has been used to denigrate a political opponent. The comments range from the fanciful to the farcical and distasteful to derogatory- morkhon ka sardar - mahagyani - pappu to fused tubelight and even hybrid calf- it is a never ending litany that speaks a tale of moral degradation in public life and the mental levels of the ruling guardians of culture, in particular.

In stark contrast a cartoonish illustration of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi or any such perceived ‘impropriety’ can land you in prison. The list of those who have spent time behind bars makes for an assorted composition. These include mimics, cartoonists, journalists and all manner of professionals. Recently, Tamil magazine Vikatan found its website rendered inaccessible for featuring a cartoon of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump.

Such is the paranoia in relation to the leader of the Opposition, Gandhi that a twitch of his eye-brows in public is enough to invite a stomach churn in the ruling elite. What may follow thereafter may- at most be judicial intervention or, at least, a ridiculing reposte – all for perceived rebuke, even if it is to his own party men !

A recent example would best illustrate the point.

Gandhi was in Gujarat for two days. He used the opportunity to school his party men on some home truths. Addressing Congress workers in Ahmedabad on March 8, he admitted that the Congress has been unable to fulfil the expectations of the people of the state due to a section of Congress leaders conniving with the BJP from within. ”People in Gujarat want an opposition, not a ‘B’ team of the BJP and it is our responsibility to show such people the door” he added. The statement was met with a tumultuous round of applause indicating acceptability.

 It was a candid admission of a fact that most media persons based in Gujarat have known for a long time. Hurt and sidelined but loyal Congressmen have spilt their cup of woes to reporters with whom they have shared decades old relationships. Many are also well aware of the intricate web spun in the past not only inter-party but within the BJP as well, the wires stretching all the way from the state capital of Gandhinagar to encircle the then party top brass in Delhi.

The chief chefs of the BJP kitchen who do not waste a moment in telling off neighbours for smelling the broth, were off the firing block in a jiffy poking their stuffed noses in the Congress larder.

As if on cue, waded in BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi in mock mourning. ”The most unsuccessful leader of the Congress in its 140 year history is teaching his party workers the mantra of success. His statements definitely point to the internal misery of the Congress and his deteriorating mental state”. Chimed in spokesperson buddy Shehzad Poonawala very concerned for the Congress rank and file ”brother have some realisation and own up to your own failures for a change”, he added. The nosy poke apart, Words like ‘deteriorating mental state’ is nothing but verbal diarrhoea coming from someone who should know responsible language use !

 While the two marshalled an arsenal of derisive words for Rahul Gandhi, they were drop dead silent when, a day earlier, the court dismissed a revision petition filed by Delhi’s new Law and Justice minister, Kapil Mishra in connection with a case of spewing hatred to garner votes in 2020.The court was scathing in its ruling, holding Mishra to account.

Even otherwise, one is at a loss trying to understand whom the two worthies would like to blame for the BJP loss in Karnataka where the Prime Minister had extensively campaigned as well as in Telangana.

Again, the ruling BJP had wagered it’s all in a high-pitched and shrill Lok Sabha elections 2024 on the war cry ‘charsau ke par iss bar’ (over the 400 seats threshold this time). The result was a setback   as it saw them losing their singular majority, down to 240 seats, from 303 in the 2019 polls. The BJP led NDA overall secured 293 seats with the INDIA coalition bagging 234 seats, 99 of which were won by the Congress.

As the ruling party hobbles around on the crutches of Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party(16 MPs) in Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar led -Janata Dal(United),12 MPs in Bihar, the two BJP spokespersons may like to pin accountability for this debacle within their own set up. After all, what’s good for the goose, is good for the gander!

Rahul Gandhi’s blunt talk has not come a day too soon. Of the 68 municipalities that went to polls recently in Gujarat, the BJP managed to come to power in 65 of them, Samajwadi Party in two Porbandar district municiplitities with the Congress bringing up the rear with a solitary win Devbhumi Dwarka, down from 12 it had won previously. It is this and many such related factors that is responsible for the Congress leadership decision to take the bull by the horns and hold the AICC session in the state next month even as it undertakes a cleansing operation. It will be the first AICC session to be held in the state after 64 years.

Is it just plain coincidence that with the Congress focussing on Gujarat, and Rahul Gandhi marking two days in the state, Prime Minister Modi took time out to spend the better part of the week in his home state?

He had a busy schedule chalked out, arriving in Jamnagar on March 1 and taking part in several events over the next two days including chairing  a meeting of the national Board of Wildlife(NBWL) and visiting Vantara, the animal rescue, conservation and rehabilitation centre which is spread over 3000 acres of the Reliance Jamnagar  refinery complex. He also offered prayers at the Somnath temple and chaired a meeting of the Somnath Trust which manages it. He also enjoyed a jungle safari complete with a bountiful photo-ops thrown in for good measure.

The Prime Minister was back in Gujarat and the neighbouring union territory of Dadra Nagar Haveli on March 7 morning and had a slew of events in South Gujarat stretching well into the next day. Earlier union railway minister Ashwini Vaishaw was in Gujarat on March1 visiting Anand to announce an allocation of Rs 17,155 crores for railway modernisation in Gujarat this year besides revamp of 87 railway stations in the state and a halt for the Vande Bharat Express at Anand. Union home minister Amit Shah was also in his home state performing inaugurations and laying the foundation stone for assorted project in Junagadh on March 8. It was a sudden burst of governmental activism designed to project momentum. The outcome is anybody’s guess.

If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull, goes an old saying.

This syndicated news column was published in the Indian newspapers Orissapost and Lokmat Times editions dated  March 11, 2025  . Their links are given below:-

 

https://odishapostepaper.com/edition/5250/orissapost/page/9

https://epaper.lokmat.com/articlepage.php?articleid=LOKTIME_NPLT_20250311_6_1