Whos spreading rumours, wonder party circles Revives Talk Of Power Struggle Among Leaders The first major controversy hit the threemonth-old Narendra Modi government on Wednesday when Union home minister Rajnath Singh publicized his anguish about the “rumour“ that PM Narendra Modi had rebuked his son Pankaj for seeking to influence transfers and postings in Delhi Police. The home minister and de jure No. 2 in the Modi regime appeared before the media to declare that he would retire from politics if the insinuation against his son was proven correct. The outburst, which coincided with the denial of a party ticket to Pankaj for the Noida by-election, triggered talk of a power struggle within the new regime, leading both the PMO and BJP chief Amit Shah to issue statements backing Singh and vouching for his integrity. Reacting to the “rumour” that has been floating in Delhi circles for at least three weeks, Rajnath said he was forced to clear the air because it was persisting. “In the last 15-20 days, rumours have persisted about me and my family . I thought they would die out since they had no basis. But since they have only gathered momentum, I want to assure the nation that the day allegations, even though prima facie and even small, are proven against me or my family , I will quit politics and public life and sit at home.“ Singh also disclosed that both Modi and Shah were surprised when he raised the matter with them last week. The outburst prompted the usually reticent PMO to swiftly issue a statement. Many more tales doing the rounds The PMOs statement goes beyond Rajnath Singh to cover other rumours about PM Modi keeping a hawk eye on his ministers. In one, a minister who was headed for a global conference dressed in jeans was supposedly ticked off for inappropriate attire. In another, a minister enjoying dinner with a leading industrialist supposedly got a call from Modi and abruptly finished his meal. P 11 Referring to “reports“ in media about the “conduct of some Union ministers and alleged misconduct of the home ministers son“, the PMO on Wednesday said: “The reports are plain lies, motivated and constitute an attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the image of the government. Those indulging in such rumour-mongering are damaging the interests of the nation. These reports are strongly denied.“ BJP president Amit Shah too sought to placate Singh by saying that the “misinformation“ against the ministers was “baseless and misleading“. Shah described Singh as among the seniormost leaders “who played a crucial role in BJPs victory in the LS polls“, and said that the home ministers political career has been unblemished and a portrait of sobriety and decency . He also spoke glowingly of the home ministers son, Pankaj, terming him a “committed party worker“ who has toiled for a decade, in what was interpreted as an indication that Singh Jrs aspiration for an independent political career may be accommodated. The episode unfolded against the backdrop of Rajnaths apparent dimunition from a powerful party chief and equal to Modi to just a senior minister who failed to get a PS of his choice and who has only a token role in the powerful Cabinet committee on appointments. But even as the damagecontrol effort appeared to have paid off, party circles were baffled about the source of rumours and the manner in which they spread across the city. Some suspected the role of a senior minister, but even Singh partisans are not sure. Sources close to the home minister said that they enjoy a close rapport at the moment, having been partners in the campaign to project Modi as BJP’s PM candidate. The thesis did not seem to hold water also because Rajnath’s colleague in question is close to the other ministers who have been targeted by the rumours. Sources close to Rajnath denied that the “emotional” home minister named any of his colleagues when he spoke to the PM and Shah. The minister himself denied that he had approached the RSS leadership on the issue. Party sources pointed out that while aimed at different personalities, the rumours have one thing in common: the sub-text that Modi was a control freak who would keep even his senior colleagues on a tight leash. Sources in the government alleged that rumours were part of the attempt to malign the PM and weaken his team. Although the government managed to douse the fires by its swift response and the Rajnath camp appeared sufficiently mollified, but the opposition groups seized upon the opportunity to attack the governmet, while demanding that the allegations against Rajnath be made public. There were indications that the issue will be used against the government at the first opportunity they sight to paint PM as an “authoritarian who brooks no dissent and marginalizes his opponents ruthlessly either through covert means like rumours or overt methods like exclusion from party’s powerful posts”. The responses of sidelined BJP veterans like L K Advani and M M Joshi will also be worth watching.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 06:02:41 +0000
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