Posts Tagged ‘bjp’
AAP goes the BJP way: Destination for Party Changers
Those who follow elections closely would remember, in 2014, when BJP was riding high on Modi wave, it was perfect destination for people who wanted to change their party. From Disgruntled, sidelined people to those who saw pegging back on Modi wave was a winner, hopped on to the BJP train. BJP too accepted them with open arms. Some inductions were controversial, others less controversial. From Congress to AAP to JDU everyone was welcomed. It was in fact necessary as BJP, having not won elections for so long faced a dearth of faces. This was addressed by inductions from other parties.
The same trend I see for 2017 Punjab elections. Siddhu is the biggest catch. Names of Congress leaders are also coming up. It’s free for all. Again as party it is necessary as there are no faces, no leadership for AAP in Punjab other than Bhagwant Mann. Hence AAP seems to be going the BJP way. However Kejriwal hates Modi, this is one thing he has learnt from him fairly quickly.
I feel these inductions will help AAP, which is riding on a huge anti-incumbency wave. But AAP has to be careful while letting people in. IT has to have a food proof vetting process. One wrong move can harm bad. More than a face for CM’s post, AAP would need faces for MLA’s. This would be the biggest challenge. I assume a lot of people from other parties will contest on AAP ticket. This makes vetting process even more necessary.
Hope the good sense prevails.
Why Modi should take Arunachal Verdict Seriously
First Uttarakhand and now Arunachal; Supreme Court has set aside President’s Rule in these two states. This is a big blow to the credibility of the Central Government. Given the polarized political times we live in, I don’t think this will hurt the popular Govt much. More so, when we have supporters ready to justify anything and everything without merit. But as for the legacy of this Govt., this is real bad.
The pattern by which the President’s Rule was imposed was similar in both states. Ruling parties MLA’s rebellion followed by speaker taking action followed by dismissal of the Govt by Center. Both places Court ruled in favor of the erstwhile State Govt. Both places had Congress Govt. Modi is doing some good work, but criticism should be done where due. Even the ardent supporters of BJP should take note and should question this misuse of power.
This goes against federalism. Earlier Courts were subservient to the Govt and were wary to rule on such things. But after the dark days of Emergency, Courts have learnt and Collegium system has helped them to become more independent than any other country.
Setting aside the President’s Rule in Arunachal is another historic verdict after Uttarakhand. This is one of those landmark judgements which will act as deterrent to such proclivities in future. It to have happened under Modi feels bad. He has to preempt such negatives, given that his detractors regard him as autocratic and dictatorial. It gives them another weapon to attack him, and rightly so.
This would also strain good relations between President and Central Govt. Pranab Mukherjee would not like seeing his name being sullen in the annals of history. What was the political need for such hara-kiri by BJP? It takes away a lot from the good work being done. Hopefully there is some course correction done.
Degree Row: Kejriwal and Modi’s cat and mouse game
Time to set the facts straight on the Modi degree row. Kejriwal raked up the issue as BJP forced his minister Tomar to resign on a similar issue earlier. Fuss was made by BJP on Sonia Gandhi degree issue too. Tables turned with Smriti and Modi degree fiasco. I have seen too much rubbish being written on social media and heard a lot of trash on News channels related to this. BJP and AAP have been at each other throats for few months.
My take on this is, Kejriwal is wrong and BJP is wronger. Let me tell you why. When Jaitley and Shah held out some piece of paper claiming it to be Modi’s degree, it seemed Modi was absolved and Kejriwal was shamed. Alas! This was not to be. What even conventional media failed to highlight is the fact that this degree has not been provided till now in reply to official RTI query. And nobody is pointing out this simple fact.
I have made it very clear in my earlier posts that Modi having degree or not, do not matter to me, he seems to be doing good. Same was my stand with Tomar, Sonia, Smriti. But since BJP, Congress and AAP has decided to slug it out, I feel the facts must come out.
I am not saying Modi don’t have a degree. He might very well have. The point is, why has it not been provided to the RTI query. I’ll tell you why. Coz it will make it official. The DU registrar has to certify it and in case of any wrongdoing, he will be liable for prosecution. Hence I say BJP is obfuscating things. When they flashed degree in press conference, it is not official and hence not liable for any prosecution.
That flashy news conference was just a political stunt, nothing else. BJP shouldn’t have started it with Tomar. Now that they have, they have to bear it when the sides are turned.
Why DU is hesitant on replying to RTI query begs a question. I could have blamed Kejriwal for this petty politics, but BJP and Congress have been pettier when it came to Tomar, Smriti and Sonia. So I am left to just point out the facts.
How low will Media go and the Khadse Blow to BJP
Minister in Maharashtra cabinet, BJP leader Eknath Khadse was forced to resign over graft charges. Maha politics is based on land grab and this is one such clear case. What happens to Khadse after this will define the tone of subsequent election campaigns by BJP. Will he be charge sheeted or will he be let off just like Ashok Chavan, of the Adarsh shame?
Amdist all this, India Today channel had a special guest dialing in to discuss this issue. The guest was none other than Ashok Chavan. And the host was none other than Rajdeep Sardesai, one of the most biased journalists in India, evidently proud of it too. Anyways, Mahamahim Ashok Chavan ji was being asked if the action is enough on Khadse or should there be an enquiry too and he be taken to task. Ashok Chavan agreed that there need to be a high level judicial enquiry etc etc.
Rajdeep who was relishing with the first wicket to fall from Modi’s “Naa Khaoonga, na khaane doonga” chant, didn’t ask Chavan that, “Do you think, Khadse’s resignation is just an eyewash, just like your resignation was?” or “Do you think Khadse is a land grabber just like you?” I mean how low will such journalists go? They call in corrupt and tainted politicians on their shows due to closeness and quid pro quo and legitimize such people. Call all you want but grill them. Not given them open audience to be a hero.
What authority does Adarsh tainted Chavan has to speak on Khadse. I mean why would you even call him? If you call him then don’t cozy up to him. Ask him tough questions.
On the issue of Khadse, it is a serious blow to Modi, but not some boon for Congress. This is a boon for regional parties. Khadse has resigned but won’t go down easily. In Maharashtra land grabbers are big politicians and Khadse is one of them. Unfortunately he has huge backing of people and a known grass root politician. He has all qualities to be a Yedurappa-2 for BJP.
Don’t be surprised if 6 months down the line, Khadse is given clean chit and he is back, either in Maharashtra or Centre. Having been so long out of power, BJP was guarded from graft charges too. With so many states and Centre under its belt, graft charges will surface regularly now. It will be a big headache to BJP as how to deal with it.
As we saw in Yedurappa case, acting against the corrupt has potential to destroy the party in that state. So what will it be five years down the line? Will Modi be able to recite, “Naa khaya, Naa Khaane diya” or will he be left wanting by BJP’s Congressmen.
Mathura violence: Guess who people blame for it?
Violence in Mathura and ensuing politics has taken center stage. It will remain in focus till 2017 elections. While BJP MP Hema Malini not even spends time in her constituency, let alone having moral decency to live there, there was hardly any opposition attack on Akhilesh Govt.
Since I was born and brought up in the city of Agra, next to Mathura, and am in constant communication with people in the area, let me give you some pulse. People are blaming Modi. Yes you heard me right, Modi. Here’s why. People have long stopped blaming SP Govt for the misrule. In 2014 they channeled their anger and gave Modi 72/80 seats. That’s the best they could have done. There is no more anger or any feeling against SP Govt. Who can the poor people blame now? The one person they thought would solve all of their problems two years ago.
SP Govt is not coming back in 2017. Past 4 years have been a missed opportunity for the young Yadav. The whole Yadav clan is more concerned about their cut in any deal that is done anywhere in UP, than about the development. Everyone knows that. Though there have been some development, but that can be attributed to time more than anything else.
If I talk about the city of Agra, only after 2014 washout did any promised infrastructure projects started. Maybe prodded by Modi, maybe out of fear. The biggest winner in 2017 is going to be Mayawati. I have said in the past and I will say it again, 72/80 was not a fluke. It was the anger of the people against SP. BJP MP’s should have been proactive and hard working at least in UP. But with people like Hema Malini who is not even there to listen to people, let alone work for them, I am afraid last 2 years have been a lost opportunity for BJP too.
I personally don’t blame Modi; he has done what he alone could do. I am disappointed by the BJP MP’s. They should have worked aggressively with people, for people; Engaged with them; Brought development to their constituency. Alas! We got nothing. The anger and exasperation that is building in the people will hurt BJP in 2017. SP is not coming back. The biggest gainer would be BSP, if BJP MP’s didn’t buckle up.
Assam win was not a fluke. Having spent 4 years in Guwahati and being in touch with people there, I can tell you, BJP and RSS worked hard since 2014 to prepare the stage for 2016. They were not just sloganeering but working for people at the grass root level. Its high time Modi takes his MP’s to task. It’s one year to go, there is still time for course correction.
Sanskrit in IIT’s: Playing Devils Advocate
HRD Ministry has asked IIT’s to teach Sanskrit. The aim is to leverage the study of science from ancient literature. This literature is primarily in Sanskrit and hence the need to study the language first.
At this point it is not clear if these courses will be optional or compulsory. As much as I know IIT’s, the courses would be optional. Somewhat like the humanities subjects. The reaction to the decision has been mixed. Some have welcomed, some have laughed at it.
Is the decision any good? Is there any harm if Sanskrit is taught? Is the backlash valid or is it just because we think little of Sanskrit. Would the backlash be same if it was Spanish or German? A lot of aspects need to be looked at. Let me play the devils advocate for now.
Pros:
- Back to the roots: Due to better job and research opportunities abroad, every year there is a mass migration. The sense of pride in our own legacy has gone missing. Hopefully study of Vedas from scientific point of view might instill some much needed belief. What I most like about Japanese and Chinese people is the pride they take in their traditions and beliefs. If teaching Sanskrit gives us an insight into the uncharted treasure, would be good to have.
- Fact vs Fiction: We all have read as to how Sanskrit is the most scientific language. How we can use Sanskrit for technological advancement. How our ancient literature was way ahead of its times and can even compete with the contemporary. The study of Sanskrit will give us an opportunity to vet these topics. Since it will mostly be optional, those who want to they can choose to.
- Fight the ills of society: The biggest of the ills of our society has been propagated by people who held on to Sanskrit. I am talking about the so called Brahmins. They monopolized the religion and religious rituals by understanding or simply by-hearting Sanskrit Shlokas. If Sanskrit study kicked off, hopefully these people will not be able to make fool of the populace. The need for the Panditji will subside when we could recite the Shlokas ourselves. This will take time and would require teaching Sanskrit in all colleges and not just IIT’s.
Cons:
- May become compulsory: There are chances that after a trial run, Govt. might make it a compulsory subject for the 1st semester. This might cause the grades to suffer as Sanskrit is hard to master. Most of the students haven’t been in touch with it from some time. This might take away from the time which the students would have otherwise spent on technical curriculum.
- An attempt to propagate myths: There have been attempts to propagate myths such as presence of flying objects during Ramayana era (Vimana). There is an attempt to push through unsubstantiated reasoning’s in the name of ancient literature. Sanskrit might end up just being right wing propaganda to spread such beliefs. Beliefs which go against continuity of advancement.
- Going backward: Top IQ students spending time on an almost extinct language is akin to going backward. India requires urgent development and reading Sanskrit is not going to give us that. Better would have been global language like Spanish through which we would be able to connect to the world better and help in job creation.
Eventually time will tell if Sanskrit is helpful or not. Lets wait and watch!
Free Land to Hema Malini for Dance Academy: Public Service. Really!
Recently the issue of free plot (almost) allotted to Hema Malini was in news. That she was a BJP MP, made things murkier. That the plot was in plush area of Mumbai made the deal sweet. Sometimes I wonder why these people want freebies. Then the realization, who doesn’t like freebies? Would I not like to get a free piece of land, if I can bend the system to my advantage?
The mere explanation we get is that these artists have earned it by their hard work. In this case, she will build a Dance Academy. Earlier there was a case of acting school of Subhash Ghai with same reasons. Ok fine, I can understand Govt must promote such endeavors but at what cost?
Will Hema Malini teach there for free? Has she given in writing that students won’t be charged? Of course not. Is Subhash Ghai not charging fees? Of Course not. This issue is age old. Most of the private schools are given land almost for free across India. They promise to take certain percentage of Economic Weaker students for free every year. But we all know what they do. Rich parents don’t want their wards to sit with poor people. Hence to maintain status, schools grease some palms and voila! No more poor students.
Apart from AAP Govt in Delhi, I haven’t seen any other state taking steps to see that EWS get through and that these people keep their word.
I have an admission to make. I have standing serious issues with Hema Malini. She is MP from a constituency of Mathura, which is next to my hometown Agra. I for one know that she has done nothing for Mathura. She got elected on back of Modi wave. She hardly spends any time in Mathura. Now I know why. She is busy grabbing land in Mumbai. It takes a lot of time lobbying anyways.
Thanks to RTI such people are getting exposed. Otherwise all these years, they grabbed land and no one knew. I am just venting out. Nothing else I can do. Hopefully things will change. But I suspect not.
An Advice to BJP: Congress card works no more
Vijay Mallya left India for London amidst all the hue and cry. His sympathizers in media pointed out that he didn’t do any wrong by going abroad. There was no legal requirement for him to stay. And they are right. He was free to leave. And here lies the problem.
When Govt. of the country is so weak as to not read the writing on the wall, there can hardly be any excuse. Mallya is a Rajya Sabha MP as an Independent. But we all know BJP supported him and propelled him to Rajya Sabha. The fishy loans he got approved were during the UPA decade of shame. Thus both BJP and Congress are in on it. Both favor such crony capitalists and both blame each other.
For BJP this is highly embarrassing as now they are in power. They don’t want to bring Lalit Modi back and now they have let off Mallya. Any guesses how many years will it take to bring him back? I say never. Same for Lalit Modi.
And it’s sad to see BJP playing the Congress card again. “Loans were given during Congress’s regime”, they say. So, What should we people do? Dance?
BJP can silence Congress during debates with this argument. But it can’t fool the people of India anymore. ‘Congress is bad’, argument has started falling flat. You have been in power for around 2 years. And now the blame is on you.
Your crony capitalism has come out in open. Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya are two shining armors to that effect. I know nothing will change. I am only writing this as I have nothing better to do.
AOL: In India money buys you everything, Even Environment
I just read that after a few days of hullabaloo, NGT has given clearance to Art of Living (AOL) World Culture Festival. Only after imposing 5 crore in fine. This for me is akin to the pollution tax. What NGT is saying to AOL is, please go ahead polluting and breaking environmental norms, just pay us 5 crore in fines.
In essence, if you have money, you are free to pollute. 1000 acres on the bank of Yamuna has been converted into a village. AOL contented it is temporary structure which NGT questioned. Understand the issue here; it is about damage to the Yamuna and the environment.
I understand there are hardcore fans of AOL who want this to happen. But this cannot be the reason alone. There can be fans of ‘N’ number of people. Would we start allowing everyone such privileges? The ‘Guru’ tag associated with Sri Sri, fears the Govt. Sri Sri has always supported BJP and hence this softness on Govt’s part.
I don’t question AOL and its leader. You might be doing well for yourself and your followers. It’s not any of my concern. I won’t come and question you in your ashram. What you do is your individual right.
But such things leave bad taste. NGT has imposed a fine of 5 crore. So if you didn’t have this money, you wouldn’t be allowed this event. Right? Thus it’s all about money. You have bought the Environment. I don’t like it one bit.
What I don’t like is any common citizen of this country wouldn’t be allowed such a privilege. Why should any organization? It’s not about AOL, it’s about cronyism.
Budget 2016: Course correction from Modi Govt
I have been critical regarding the fiscal policies of Modi Govt. But this budget is a course correction and aims to fulfill poll promises. Personally for me this budget brings nothing to the table, but I am not the electorate that any party worries about anyways.
Small taxpayers have been benefitted. There is no change in Tax Slabs but small taxpayers have been benefitted via other means. That means higher taxpayers are excluded of any benefit, a popular move in sync with poll promises.
A great step for farmers and rural India, who voted en masse for Modi. Irrigation fund, Organic farming, soil health cards. Govt. has aimed to double farmer’s income in 5 years and have set aside money for that. Gram Sadak Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojana another one for the silent majority of our country.
Middle class will not be too much enthused by this budget and BJP might feel the wrath of their agony in coming elections. Maybe not that much as I think middle class vote is more than secured for BJP due to lack of alternatives.
There is a big push on construction which helps everyone from low wage labor to home buyers. I have liked the budget as far as I have seen. Will try and do a detailed study when I get time. But it’s a thumbs up from me to Modi and Jaitley. They have done a course correction after couple of embarrassing drubbing in Delhi and Bihar.
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