Is PM Modi Back in is His Role as Gujarat CM?

Hate and divisive speeches in the political arena, especially during election time, are not new in India. Rather, no election in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies has been totally free from this vice over the past three decades. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have outsmarted all past records this time, particularly while attacking Muslims, the largest minority community in India. His ‘no holds barred’ attacks against Opposition parties, particularly the oldest political outfit in India, Congress, too, are full of lies. 

 Unfortunately, Modi is having a free run in the absence of any effective refereeing by the Election Commission of India (ECI), although while announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar had appealed to all leaders to refrain from hate speeches and divisive rhetoric.

But, as the country is left with only the final round of voting (on June 1) in a seven-round schedule, it is clear that the CEC’s appeal is being breached, mainly by the ruling party, and more so by its chief star campaigner, PM Modi himself.  Surprisingly, the ECI has proved to be a paper tiger. Rather than asking for a reply from the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) over the alleged violation of the model code of conduct by Modi, the poll referee has issued a notice to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president instead. Through its actions, the ECI has hinted that it is better not to make allegations against the Prime Minister. The ECI's role has already received adverse observations from the highest judiciary in a recent petition. 

 Justice K.M. Joseph (now retired) of the Supreme Court had raised a crucial question on the petition related to the appointment of Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioner. Underlining the importance of having a CEC who is “independent and a man of character”, the top court wondered if would it not be a case of ‘complete breakdown of system’ if the CEC did not act against the Prime Minister when there are allegations against him.

It is even more surprising that the number of allegations against the Prime Minister is comparatively higher, as reflected in the media, than in the recent past. Modi himself was not under such scrutiny since he became Prime Minister in 2014. But, this time, serious allegations have been made directly against him for his controversial comments on the Muslim community.

On April 21, in an election rally in Rajasthan, Modi referred to Muslims in India as “those who have a large number of children” and claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said (in 2006) that “Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources”. In the same rally, he struck another controversial note by alleging that if Congress comes to power, it will implement its manifesto that promises equitable distribution of wealth and interpreted that this will mean “taking away the mangalsutras of Hindu women and giving away their gold to Muslims.” He described Muslims as “infiltrators”.

Modi took a lead role in this, just like in cricket, with the entire BJP eco-system following him. 

 Many believe that Modi had declared a ‘direct war’ against Muslims when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. Although the country's apex court gave him a clean chit over the allegations labelled against him, his political and social scrutiny has never stopped. During the Gujarat violence in 2002, various comments by Modi showed that he viewed Muslims with disdain and nurtured a bias toward them. During the violence, when people were displaced, lives were lost, and the entire country was outraged, he had remarked that: “Relief camps are actually child-making factories. Those who keep on multiplying the population should be taught a lesson.”

In what was seen as Modi justifying the communal violence, he had quoted Newton’s third law, ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’.

 Unfortunately, despite the PM’s recent sharp attacks on Muslims in election rallies, the country’s leading media did not critique him. Instead, international media, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, ABC critically covered Modi’s controversial remarks. According to Time magazine, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)—the United States largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation—also condemned Modi’s speech in a statement. 

 It’s national executive director Nihad Awad said: “It is unconscionable, but not surprising, that far-right Hindutva leader Narendra Modi would target Indian Muslims with a hateful and dangerous diatribe despite his role as the leader of a nation with such a diverse religious heritage.”

 After the Gujarat violence, Modi was denied a US visa because of his ‘intentional failure’ to perform his noble duties to control the massacres that took away thousands of lives, most of them Muslims. The question is, why is Modi is so desperate about attacking Muslims, who are his countrymen? The reason is simple.

 The BJP has realised that the ‘double engine’ -- Ram Mandir and ‘Modi's Guarantees’-- did not resonate with the people in the first a few rounds of voting. Many people think that this is why the rhetoric of religion polarisation is being openly aired, which is why the party has started walking openly along the divisive line. And to serve this purpose, none other than PM Modi has taken the lead role. He is back in his role as the Gujarat Chief Minister, say many observers.

 Amid all this, the recent news about Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, is interesting. According to a report published in The Telegraph, Britain, the local administration in North Berlin does not want to keep Goebbels house in their hands, as the cost of maintenance is increasing day by day. They wanted to hand it over to a private organisation.

Whatever the fate of the house, the story of the architect of Hitler's propaganda minister, who created a web of lies, will be etched in history. Similarly, attempts to imitate him, will continue among those who believe that if people are repeatedly told lies, they will end up believing them. So, is Modi portraying himself as Goebbels?

 In the middle of this month, the Prime Minister used every tactic to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. He said: “In Bengal, Hindus are treated as second-class citizens.” He also said, “If the opposition alliance forms the government, reservation now enjoyed by lower castes will be ceased and provided to Muslims.” Then he asked the people: ‘Will you accept this? Will the oppressed classes, the tribals, and other backward classes in the country tolerate this?’

 In every election rally, team Modi has been trying to instill fear in the minds of Hindus by flagging the bogey of ‘Hindu khatre mein hai’ (Hindus are in danger today).  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in an election rally in Jharkhand, said: “Hindus have awakened after a long time and should remain vigilant now.”

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: “If Congress comes to power, it will allow Muslims to eat beef, adding that this amounted to allowing cow slaughter… whereas our scriptures call the cow mother. They wish to give cows into the hands of butchers. Will India ever accept this?”

Home Minster Amit Shah is instilling fear in devout Hindus by saying: ‘If the opposition forms the government, they will hang a 'Babri lock' on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.’

 While referring to the Congress Manifesto, PM Modi said, “If they come to power, they will distribute the country's wealth among Muslims. Hindu women's mangalsutras (gold ornament of married Hindu woman) may be snatched.” Altogether, the saffron brigade wants to establish that only BJP cares for the welfare of Hindus.

 Following the Goebbels doctrine, the Prime Minister and his followers have embarked on building a ‘castle of lies’. They are so busy trying to convince the majority among Hindus that they are victims, who are being deprived due to the minorities, especially Muslims. It is clear that to win votes, the saffron party is trying to build a consensus among majority Hindus in the cultural, economic, and political fronts on the foundation of Muslim animosity. Interestingly, amid all this, the PM’s speeches are suppressing the long history of Hindutva forces’ opposition to reservation for Dalits, adivasis and Other Backward Classes.

The writer is a senior journalist and author based in West Bengal. He is former senior editor, Times Group. The views are personal.