Definitely, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seems set for the third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha as of today but the question remains on the kinds of developments in the run-up to the polls of the world’s largest democracy.
We have already spoken, discussed and debated at length about the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Income Tax notices and freezing of Congress party accounts…but what is new now is the foreign interference in the internal matters of India.
Modi is vying for a third consecutive term, and he promises the third term – if elected to power, would be a term of big decisions.
The surveys too indicate a safe passage for Modi to the coveted chair.
Despite all this, the BJP-led government is leaving no stone unturned to finish the Opposition – be it the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or their principal rival Indian National Congress (INC).
The BJP has kept the Opposition busy gasping for survival when should have hit the ground running for campaigning.
The Modi-Shah duo seems to have taken the fizz out of the Opposition INDI alliance’s tall claims.
How Kejriwal was tackled….
For example, the BJP waited for an entire year to put Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal behind bars just ahead of the upcoming elections.
They waited for the entire year to nail Kejriwal as they wanted to show the nation that a person, whose very aim was INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION, has himself entangled in the biggest corruption case.
The delayed arrest also gives the ruling BJP a breather from Kejriwal’s rhetoric against PM Modi.
Not that Arvind Kejriwal could pose any big challenge to the BJP in Delhi, given he had lost all 7 seats in 2019. However, what seems to have bothered the Modi-Shah duo was his presence in the INDI alliance and constant swipes at PM Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP.
The sections of the Protection of Money Laundering Act (PMLA, under which Kejriwal is arrested, are such that the onus is on the accused rather than the investigating agency to prove that the charges are wrong.
Hence, it seems very difficult for Kejriwal to come out of jail ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Congress is in a “fix”…
While the BJP has tackled the AAP with Enforcement Directorate cases, it has let loose the Income Tax department on the Congress, so much so that the party is today facing issues even on disbursing the travelling allowances, leaving aside the campaigning expenses.
After the Congress accounts were frozen for the Rs 200 tax evasion, the I-T issued a fresh notice for Rs 1700 cr.
Insane, isn’t it?
The principal Opposition party Congress seems to be gasping for breath in such a situation.
They do not have money ahead of India’s biggest elections. The candidates, workers, and leaders all want money for a successful Lok Sabha campaign.
The development comes close after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had two “successful” yatras – Bharat Jodo Yatra & the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Congress spent Rs 71.8 crore on Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, which constituted 15.3 per cent of Congress’ annual spending.
The cost of the second yatra cost the party roughly around Rs 50 cr.
Having spent Rs 120 cr on yatras, the Congress has nothing for elections, now who is to be blamed?
The foreign country’s interference…
This could be the first instance when foreign countries’ interference could be seen in India’s internal matters close to the elections.
After Germany and the United States, expressed their reservation, now the United Nations too has expressed concerns about Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and Congress’ I-T notices.
Even though India has hit back and replied appropriately against the “unwarranted” statements, it is a matter of concern for the country.
“We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary,” MEA said in a statement.
“India is a vibrant and robust democracy with the rule of law. As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted,” it added.
