PM Modi’s first ‘press conference’ in five years was a disappointing monologue. His persistent refusal to field unvetted questions betrays his lack of confidence, if not a disturbing belief that an elected leader isn’t accountable. Choreographed interviews and rhetorical flourish in public rallies aren’t a substitute for probing question-and-answer sessions.
Modi, Shah must apologise for Godse remarks. Else, action is little more than an eyewash
PM Modi’s condemnation of Pragya Singh and Amit Shah’s distancing from BJP leaders’ Godse comments and ordering a disciplinary probe are too little, too late. They have unleashed this toxicity and owe Indians an apology. Otherwise, this is an eyewash to ensure BJP isn’t hurt on final day of voting.
One reads a lot about the WhatsApp University, about half a billion Indians on their smartphones. One narrative suggests they are all smoking pot and accepting all that they see as the gospel truth. Last night I saw an interview with Dalit students at a hostel in Arra, Bihar. This afternoon, another with young men, again in a rural area in Bihar. Both seemed disenchanted; they were comparing promise with delivery. For their modest means, they seemed to have a pretty good idea of what is going on in the country, what the real issues in this election are. If communication had been flowing both ways during the last five years, a second term would have looked a lot more secure.
Not sure how much good an apology will do, all the more if she is sworn in as a newly elected MP a few days from now. She has articulated an internally consistent world view. Her remarks on Karkareji / Ayodhya / Godse are different facets of the same reality. Mahatma Gandhi is like Mount Everest, beyond debate. Everything else, starting with the Constitution, seems to be up for dispute and modification. Each government is sworn in on the Constitution. That is not an empty formality or ritual. It acknowledges that there is a legal framework whose absence or abandonment will plunge the country into anarchy and chaos. All serious participants in the political system need to abide by this unbreakable consensus.
Completely agree with these pithy editorials. The press conference was a sham; the body language of a nervous man; and apology is needed. Left wondering if this is the same man who governed Gujarat for multiple terms.