ALI SUKHANVER

It has ever been a misconception that the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Modi has enmity only with the Muslims and Pakistan but recently it came to the surface that he hates not only the Muslims and Pakistan but also the Congress. If he had an authority and opportunity, he would have hanged all the members of the Congress and to put a ban on the Congress forever. Recently on 7th Feb 2018 while addressing the annual budget session in the Parliament, he severely criticized Congress for its ‘wrong policies’ in the past. A very popular e-paper of India LiveMint said commenting on Modi’s address, Modi gave two speeches in response to the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In both speeches, Modi sought to corner the Congress on issues of corruption, policymaking and dynastic politics.” In his speech in the Lok Sabha, Modi had said addressing directly to the Congress, It is in your character that the division of India happened. The country was broken into pieces and you sowed the poison. After 70 years of independence, not a day passes when the 125 crore Indians do not get punished for your sins. You broke India into pieces and you did it keeping elections in mind, in haste and closing doors of Parliament.” He further said, You wasted all your time singing ‘paeans’ to one family. You forgot India’s history and you put all your energy to ensure that the country remembered only one family… if you had worked with some responsibility, the people of this country were capable enough of taking India to new heights,” Modi said, adding that if the right direction had been kept and right policies followed, the country would have gone way ahead of where it is now. Though the Congress president Rahul Gandhi could not use Modi like harsh words in response to his speech but he said, The prime minister spoke nothing about employment for youth; he had promised 2 crore jobs. The talk of farmers, giving them right prices and loan waivers —the PM instead spoke about bees and bamboo.” However the response of Shiv Sena was no doubt a very intelligent one. Shiv Sena tried to kill two birds with one stone. Shiv Sena’s spokesperson Manisha Kayande said, It is time that Modi Ji realizes it has been 4 years now. People were fed up because of Congress and that is why they chose you. People want to hear about your schemes and not the criticism of Congress.”

Modi’s speech in the budget session of the parliament was on the whole a hate-speech for the congress but some parts of it were more degrading rather humiliating. He had said, I have proof of how the Congress looted and plundered India. You will pay for your sins. Time has come for you to be held accountable and answerable to the people of India.”  But it seems that time has come for Mr. Modi to be held accountable and answerable to the people of India as they are not ready to forgive him for his usual bitter and sarcastic remarks against all his political opponents and against the minorities in India. Recently a video clip became viral on social media in which Gujarat OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is seen taunting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the basis of his skin colour. Thakor can be heard saying, Modi Ji eats mushrooms from Taiwan. One mushroom costs Rs 80 thousand and he eats five mushrooms a day. He was dark like me but he became fair because of imported mushrooms.”  Thakor goes on to allege that PM Modi has been consuming these Taiwanese mushrooms ever since he was Gujarat chief minister. Thakor further said, The PM eats mushrooms worth Rs 1 crore 20 lakh in a month, he doesn’t like roti chawal. It is just an act. One wonders how many crores his workers eat”. The rift between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress had reached its climax during the bitter political campaign for the Gujarat elections. Experts on India’s political affairs say that the air of confrontation between the two parties would seek more heights till the elections in several states this year.

Political scenario for Mr. Modi and for the BJP does not seem very cordial and supportive with reference to the next elections. Mr. Modi is rapidly losing his popularity because of his extremist approach towards the Muslims and other minorities including the Sikhs and the Christians. Moreover the low-caste Hindus, particularly the Dalits are also continuously in trouble at the hands of the BJP extremists. ‘Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India’ was the title of a report prepared in co-ordination with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom USCIRF and published last year. The report said that religious tolerance has deteriorated and religious freedom violations have increased in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime. The religious minority communities and Dalits face discrimination and persecution in India where hate crimes, social boycotts and forced conversion have escalated dramatically since 2014. The report further said, Since the BJP assumed power, religious minority communities have been subject to derogatory comments by BJP politicians and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by affiliated Hindu nationalist groups such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad.” It would really be a miracle if in the upcoming elections the minorities forget the insult and humiliation they have been facing throughout Modi’s regime.