Posts Tagged ‘modi’
Modi Promise Break 2: Corrupt Roaming Free
Second in my series on Modi’s un-kept promises. I remember Modi’s speeches against the corrupt. Chagan Bhujbal, Ashok Chavan, Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, Robert Vadra, Suresh Kalmadi, Manmohan Singh, A Raja etc etc etc. The 2G, CWG, Jijaji scams. The Adarsh, the Coal, the irrigation scams. We all roared along with Modi against them. It resulted in Modi victory.
What has Modi done? They all roam free. Infact Modi attends social functions with few of them. We stand aghast. We stand cheated. Modi today have no answer when people asks, “Why do they roam free?” Sir, this is one of the reasons you lost Bihar. This is the reason you will lose more if you don’t do anything. Moreover you took control on Delhi ACB when Kejriwal started using it against corrupt. What should we make of all this?
Below are people against whom Modi roared a lot and now they roam free. Moreover no corruption money has been recovered from them till date.
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Suresh Kalmadi (2G Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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Ajit Pawar (Irrigation Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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Ashok Chavan (Adarsh Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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Robert Vadra (Jijaji Land Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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Manmohan Singh (Coal Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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A Raja (2G Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
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Chagan Bhujbal (Maharashtra Sadan Scam)
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If I am corrupt, Why do I roam free? |
You took votes in lieu of putting them behind bars. But then you take no action in hope of forging alliances with them in future. Best of Luck!
Bihar: Why Lalu ruled 15 years and Modi ousted in just 1.5 years
Lalu ruled Bihar from 1990 to 2005, good 15 years. Even without progress and with thriving kidnapping industry, Lalu kept his vote bank intact. People attributed it to Lalu’s hold on Muslim-Yadav votes in the state. Lalu’s citadel was destroyed by Nitish-BJP combine who ruled the roost for good 10 years together.
Then came Narendra Modi tsunami which captured Bihar like no other. Every other party was decimated in 2014. But Modi was himself thrown under just 1.5 years later. It begs the question why? When Lalu ruled for 15 years, Congress for decades before that, without much progress, Why was Modi ousted so soon? Regardless of Modi non-performance, this seems discrimination by voters in Bihar, right?
Let’s try and ponder on the reasons behind the psyche of people of Bihar.
1. Caste loyalty is like Fevicol Bond: People owed Lalu caste allegiance. Modi had no such distinction. Modi rode on anti-Congress plank and Promise of Development. People didn’t consider him as one of their own. Thus they soon became disenchanted with Modi non-performance and went back to the caste. Caste, the exact reason why Lalu ruled for so long. “Kam se kam apni jaat ka toh hai” (At least he is of our own caste).
2. Unreasonable promises: Modi promised voters the heaven. He left no promises un-made, no stone unturned in 2014 elections. He promised anything and everything. He was like a messiah to the downtrodden. These unreasonable promises and lack of fulfillment thereof, was like a dagger through the chest. People felt cheated. Fulfilling these promises might be near impossible in just 1.5 years. But Modi is himself to blame.
3. Modi thought he had 5 years: When Modi was elected PM, I remember him saying, “We will work for the nation for first 4 years and will work for votes in the last 1 year”. What he forgot was it was not like running a state. He forgot that he will face number of state elections in between. His 4+1 model might have worked in Gujarat but didn’t work at the Centre.
4. Impatience in correcting history: As I wrote in my last post, people had no problems with BJP correcting history, spreading RSS ideology or lambasting Nehru. People started having problems when they felt that BJP was doing only that and nothing else. With no perceptive change in jobs, development and standard of living, people felt as if development was not on BJP’s agenda at all.
5. Dal prices: However BJP disagrees, soaring Dal prices just near Bihar elections hurt them a lot. Opposition mocked acche din and drove home the point how Modi fooled them. With Dal disappearing from the plate, poor felt cheated and wanted to teach someone a lesson. Nitish was not incumbent here, Modi was. Nitish told people how Dal was cheap when Modi was not at Centre. Dal ki wajah se logo ne Modi ko hi Daal diya. (People did Modi in, due to Dal prices).
6. BJP became Arrogant just like Congress: Lalu-Nitish appear humble if nothing else. You have to give them that. However corrupt Lalu may be, he is always soft spoken. Same is the case with Nitish. BJP seems to have become arrogant since coming to power. And people hate arrogance. Divide between the common man and BJP’s once grass root leaders is widening day by day. In this day and age, every statement of leaders is scrutinized. Every action is known to all. What BJP started doing to AAP Govt. in Delhi under LG’s disguise was disgusting arrogance. Voters saw that and were waiting for their chance. Peoples’ woes were not taken seriously. Leaders looked like mocking the poor. And there was no perceptible action taken against them. This arrogance did a lot of harm to BJP.
Modi Promise Break 1: Dynamic Train Fare
When Modi promised us Acche Din, he never promised such through the roof train prices. Never has the railways been more expensive. Just after 2014 elections, Modi raised Train Fares. Was called a bitter pill. People were anguished but they supported Modi. Time passed and no perceptive results were seen of that bitter pill. People got a chance and BJP was brought to the ground. First in Delhi and then in Bihar.
I know people will try and justify the dynamic train fare (also increased fare) as a good initiative and all that. But such loot in the name of lack of availability of trains amounts to exploitation. Bihar elections have shown that you can take all those explanations and justifications and shove it up. We are just not interested.
Such flashy fares feel like rubbing it in. Not sure who was the mastermind behind this and why Modi lets it continue. Politics is perception war and such loot, aids losing that war.
It is time Modi showed urgency and plugs this loot; Fire people responsible for it. People often wondered why Congress didn’t try to stop Corruption, why Congress didn’t do something against policy paralysis. My answer was they just couldn’t. It is how they were. You can change clothes, but not the soul. Afraid same seems true with BJP now.
A snapshot of Mumbai-Delhi Aug Kranti Rajdhani Exp for 10th Nov. Price is 6145/- with 4000 added in lieu of Dynamic Fare. Only for rich, right? Even middle class is not able to afford it. And then you do chintan why you lost Bihar!
Bihar Election Result: Isko Sabak Sikhana Hoga
Let me admit at the onset, I would have liked if Modi would have won Bihar. Comeback of Lalu’s dynasty and corruption never felt right. I liked Nitish standalone but taint of Lalu is too much for me. But now that Nitish-Lalu has won Bihar big time, it has left Modi a lot to ponder.
Of Late, a lot of Modi supporters have grown disenchanted with him. Similar thing happened with Kejriwal also. Modi and Kejriwal both came with lots of promises and shook the rotten foundations. They promised us the moon. We fell for it and not just supported them, but also became their torch bearers. I believe same was the case with Bihar public.
People who voted for BJP big time during general elections, rejected them bigger. Why? This can be because people wanted to ‘sabak sikhana’ (teach a lesson) to Modi. 18 months have seen a lot of rhetoric and not much perceptive action. All through elections never once Modi admitted that he has not been able to do what he promised. Had he admitted and pleaded for more time, maybe the results would have been different. But he kept riding on a high horse all through the campaign.
Modi’s campaign was just as it was in 2014. He kept giving ‘Gyan’. What he forgot was 2014 was more a referendum on Congress’s corruption and less on Modi. People felt, ‘Ded saal pehle aaya, gyan deke vote le gaya. Kuch kiya dhara nahin. Phir se gyan dene aa gaya. Isko sabak sikhana hoga’ (He came, preached 1.5 years back for votes. Did nothing all this while. Came again asking for votes. We will teach him a lesson).
Zero poll promises fulfilled from 2014 elections. Vadra is roaming free. Remember Modi chest thumping on Vadra. People felt that Modi is another thug of a politician. Sir, please put Vadra in jail, rather than keeping the trump card for next elections. Prosperity didn’t come as promised. Jobs weren’t created. Although common man don’t have problem as such if BJP imposes RSS ideology in education and otherwise. But it felt as if BJP wanted to do nothing else. Common man don’t care if BJP demonizes Nehru, but it felt as if BJP wanted to do nothing else.
People voted Modi for development. Modi should have fulfilled some promises before coming back with more promises. Middle class was lost by higher train price, higher service tax, higher dal prices, and no bumper tax sops. It was as if voters were being punished for their faith. Voters in turn decided to punish him back. I don’t think intolerance debate did much harm to Modi. It is just for TV studios. What harmed him was lack of action.
Loyalty to Modi is not Caste based. Caste loyalty is very strong. Not the case with Modi. People decided to discard Modi and go back with the caste. It’s high time, Modi corrected course and did something perceptive. He should start acting on his 2014 poll promises before making more promises. Warna UP mein bhi sabak seekhna padega.
Stop this award drama: Doing harm to a legitimate issue
And the trend of returning awards continues. I have always believed that such awards decided by all-so-biased juries of the past has led to generations of political awardees. The regime of the past was intolerant to fresh minded people who were against dynasty and sycophancy.
I agree to some extent with the feeling that religious intolerance is on the rise. Right wing groups have found new vigor. But then when Babri was demolished what did so called secular Govt. did? Nothing! Was religious intolerance not on rise then? Why not answer who gave rise to right-wing Shiv Sena to oust the communists off Mumbai? We have even forgotten the ills of Emergency. Your cause, which might be right, has been undone by company you keep.
All this hoopla initiated by member of Nehru family when she returned her award, has done nothing but harm your fight. There would have been other means of struggle, like the ones people chose during emergency and various riots across last 50 years. By following the steps of a Nehru relative, you have fallen prey to being branded as anti-BJP and pro-Nehru. Nehru, if you ask younger generation, does not hold that high esteem anymore. Indira Gandhi does hold some respect but not Nehru. And everyone knows this but you. By ganging up with a member of Nehru family, you have demolished your own fort. Youth of today care less about Hindutva but more about jobs.
Your action in fact has given the way out to Central Govt. Instead of being on the back foot, they are now riding high on the Nehru-Dynastic hatred in today’s youth and have been able to paint you all, self ignorant fools. For youth, corruption is the ugliest of sin. For you religion related issues are. For us corruption has kept us under privileged due to which successive Govt’s have been able to fool us to fight over religion. You don’t address corruption as an issue. When we hang our head in shame due to rampant corruption and emergency, you just want to celebrate secularism.
I care two hoots about secularism or religion for that matter. I want these dynastic and sycophancy beneficiaries, stripped off their luxuries. Just see their dare to dictate to us what is right and what is wrong. Social media has made us better aware than to tolerate such people.
We knew all about Modi when we elected him. We might not have sided with him, but for your silence when India was being looted and poor were kept deprived.
I so wish you had spoken when Nehru furthered his daughter and laid the foundation for dynasty. I so wish you had spoken when Bhopal terrorist was let free. I so wish you had spoken when Emergency was imposed. I so wish you had spoken when India was looted rampantly. I so wish you had spoken for such issues than to cite religion to settle your petty ideological differences.
Where has My Protein Gone? Expensive Dal and Cleansing of the Poor
So Dal is being sold @ 220/- per Kg. I have written enough articles lately as to how current Govt. has lost the plot completely. I don’t want to go into that today. Today I want to discuss the health aspect of expensive Dal. Thanks Ravish @ NDTV for bringing it to our attention.
Dal is the main source of protein for most Indians. Most migrant workers (laborers, cycle rickshaw pullers, auto rickshaw drivers, watchmen etc.), depend on road side stalls for daily food. They eat one time a day, heavy meal which costs them 30 bucks. The news report was of Delhi. But I have tried same meal in Mumbai too. It costs the same.
With the Dal price sky rocketing, the amount of Dal is decreasing and amount of water is increasing in the meal. Toor Dal was already away from reach. Now they don’t even use Moong Dal. A Mauth Dal is being used, which is the cheapest available in market and looks like Moong Dal; that too in decreasing quantity. This leaves us with less and less amount of protein in the poor man’s diet.
What is the health aspect of it? Will it not make them weak? Will that weakness not result in less productivity? Will that make India better? I shudder to even think the horror of the empty stomach and weak shells of the poor. What is this if not cleansing of the poor? Just like Congress was accused of eradicating poor and not poverty; current times are equally dreadful.
Next time you see poor laborers, rickshaw drivers, watchmen a bit lean and weak, do offer them a Dal-Rice meal. They need proteins too.
Stop Religious Intolerance, Stop Congress from making comeback
To the incidents of religious intolerance across the country, Central Govt’s argument is, “Law and Order is a state subject and states are to be blamed”. On the surface this argument seems sound. But is it really?
If we dig deep, this argument feels shallow. What then is the duty of the Central Govt? If they feel state is not doing its duty, should they keep silent? They could have easily shot of stern warnings to states that strict action will be taken if law and order situation does not improve. But Centre has chosen to play dumb.
As to the sympathizers argument that such incidents have also taken in the past without this much hue and cry. They are right to an extent. But given the history and stigma attached to the party in power, it’s their duty to quell the notions. They should be extra careful and vigilant. Playing silent is no answer.
Agree that these incidents occur in states. Agree that they are not being initiated by their party and workers. Agree that states should perform their duty. But I do not agree with the helplessness cited by the Central Govt. Deal with states with iron hand which do not curb these incidents.
Else all those advts, about “Desh nahin mitne doonga” would end up being just election jumlas. I urge the PM, not to be like helpless Manmohan. We are behind you. Take the religious intolerants to task. Last thing we want is Congress and its pathetic dynasty, death of ideology and through the roof corruption making a comeback.
From Digital India to Internet.Org: Why so much skepticism?
With the facebook support for Digital India initiative, the net neutrality debate has come back to the fore. Some saw facebook gaining back door entry for its internet.org. The skeptics who are among fortunate few to access the internet have started badmouthing already.
First of all if facebook indeed is piggybacking its internet.org with Digital India, it’s their prerogative. It was our PM who prodded facebook for support, not the other way round. For a corporate entity answerable to shareholders, not everything can be charity. It’s silly when we want facebook or for that matter google, to provide free wi-fi etc to us in lieu of charity. “Dare not make money out of us”. This is simply not done.
Coming back to internet.org. The people who have luxury of internet (it is indeed a luxury in India), should be the last one to shout against this initiative. It has the might to bring internet to those who don’t have access to it as present. I agree it gives access to a curtailed internet. But for under privileged of our country, how is curtailed internet worse than “No Internet”?
The people, who have money to pay for www, now want to dictate the things for people who don’t have access to www. If you have any issues with neutrality, don’t trample the initiative, provide an alternative instead. It’s fancy to berate a big Corporation. It’s difficult to find a solution.
Let people decide if they choose internet.org. I firmly support that some internet is better than no internet. People against internet.org, keep your hatred aside, you already have access to net, you have nothing to gain or lose.
Shame to Shame
Not sure what exactly has gone wrong, but a lot has evidently. It’s not that I am a gullible person but all too sudden double speak by Modi Govt has taken me aback. How the mighty have fallen and continuously do so.
Consider this, Arun Jaitely recently said that indirectly elected Upper House can’t hold the passage of bills and is a threat to democracy. This statement is against the very core of constitution. Upper house represents the states, which under the federal structure is a must. Centre was not envisioned to be all too powerful and states were given rights to decide for themselves. In Centre the Upper House plays this role.
Being the leader of the party in the Upper House, this smacked of all too hypocrisy. Anyways, one could have discounted this as his genuine personal view. But what his party is doing with Delhi Govt. via Lt. Governor is the same. According to BJP, Opposition is not letting elected Govt work. And BJP is not letting elected Delhi Govt work. Shame to Shame.
Hypocrisy, thou art a bitch!
Kaun Hai Yeh Vikaas?
Since 9 months of Modi Govt are over, people of India have been doing rounds of Birth Registration offices across India to look if Vikaas has been born or not. Okay Bad Joke.
A lot of things doing round on social media and people are seriously looking for Vikas. Kaun Hai Yeh Vikaas?
I received a message on my Whatsapp, “Modi Sarkar ke 9 Maheene Poore, Kejriwal CM Ho gaya. Kahin Kejriwal hi toh Vikaas Nahin?”. When Kiran Bedi said, “My name is Vikaas Bedi”. People got confused. But then she lost and that debate was nipped in the bud.
Top detectives of India took it into their hands to find out who Vikaas is. Below are the excerpts from when they met.
ACP Pradyumn: Chupp ke baitha hai yeh Vikaas. Kuch toh Gadbad hai Daya. Kuch toh Gadbad hai. Aakhir chupp ke kyon baitha hai yeh Vikaas? Kya zaroorat padi isko chupp ke baithne ki? Har darwaja tod ke dekhna padega (Finger swirling).
Karamchand: Shut up Kitty. Ahem Pradyumn. Yeh bhi koi sawaal hua. Swaal toh yeh hai, ki kya sahi mein yeh Vikaas hai ya behroopiya hai? Is Vikaas ke mukhaute ke peeche Kaun hai? Kitty…Kitty.
Byomkesh Bakshi: Mujhe toh lagta hai ki Koi Vikaas-Bikaas tha hi nahin. Ajit, yahi asal baat hai. Par phir bhi sab Vikaas ka naam baar baar le rahe hain. Is rahasya ki jad tak jaane ke liye humein gawahon se ek baar phir baar karni padegi.
All three of them went to talk to the witnesses.
Tumne dekha hai Vikaas ko?
Witness 1: Nahin Maalik. Humein toh nahin dekha. Suna bahut tha. Gaye bhi they haspataal hum toh. Doctor sahib ko bhi nahin pata hua ki nahin.
Witness 2: Kal ekdum aisa laga ki Vikaas chilla raha hai door. Bahut dhoondha. Bas awaaj hi sunayi di. Kaunoo pishaach laage.
Enter The Muffler Man.
Mufflerman: Arey ab bhi nahin samjhe. Yeh Vikaas Chunavi Jumla tha ji. Chunavi Jumla.
Akbar-Birbal jodi: He…He.
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