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PM’s Security Breach is Wake-up Call on Governance
- Published on 20 January 2022
(Image Courtesy: PIB)
“Every VIP must remember that he is a VIP because he has a Very Important Duty. Consequently, he must remember that he is given extraordinary security so that he may exert his utmost and contribute his fullest to the security and well-being of the ordinary citizens who are his masters in a democracy”, stated BJP’s veteran Mr. L.K. Advani, way back on 6th April 2000.
He noted this, as Home Minister, in his keynote address at a seminar on ‘VIP Security – Emerging Challenges’ organised by Special Protection Group (SPG), a statutory force with a mandate to protect Prime Minister.
Mr. Advani’s reminder has special relevance to PM Narendra Modi’s security breach. This happened during his recent visit to Punjab, triggering political storm.
Mr. Advani’s wisdom deserves to be mulled over by PM and all Chief Ministers. They are the key propellers of cooperative federalism (CF). When there is persisting deficit in relationship between PM and Opposition CMs, the risk of security lapse rises.
The State Police has higher stake in avoiding gaps in safety chain if PM and the Opposition CM share stage at official events organized outside National capital. For this, the ball lies in Mr. Modi’s court. He has to change his political narrative against Opposition-ruled States. He has to unveil a code for conduct for politics and ego-free interface between PM and CMs.(https://bit.ly/3IfWsDg)
Growth-hungry India cannot afford to see recurring instances of CMs of Opposition-ruled States avoiding sharing dais with Mr. Modi. He likes to mix official events with political rallies in his visit to States. BJP supporters boo or heckle CMs during the official events. Mr. Modi acts as a silent spectator on such occasions. Specific instances on this discord, beginning August 2014, would be cited a bit later. The intention here is not to blame any dignitary but to pitch for discord-free Team India under Mr. Modi’s captaincy.
Periodic reports of CMs complaining about worsening Centre-State relations are neither good for economic development nor for the national security. The way Mr. Modi promotes the concept of double-engine government (BJP at Centre & at State) implies that growth & governance can’t flourish if a State is ruled by BJP.
VIP tales-from 1954 Tilpat scare to 2022 PM’s Security Alarm
- Published on 20 January 2022
(Image Courtesy: PIB)
The difference is clear. The BJP’s charismatic votes-seeker Narendra Modi recently spun this phrase in Hindi to market Yogi Government’s performance as compared to earlier UP regimes. Did he realize that this slogan would boomerang on him?
Yes, Fark Saaf Hai between him and all previous prime ministers especially Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Rajiv Gandhi. Mr. Vajpayee faced three security breaches in a span of 11 days during January 2003 in Delhi.
At that time, he didn’t have a dig at Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Sheila Dikshit. And the BJP didn’t burst into unprecedented hysteria. NDA Government acted professionally: It took appropriate action against five personnel of Delhi Police and CRPF.
At that time, the mainstream media didn’t drum up conspiracy plot. Godimedia, however, now loves to play up names such as ISI, China, Khalistan, Toolkit plot and Congress High Command with hints from powers that be. It does not ask the Government/BJP to show concrete evidence to prove the allegations of their hand in the plots to either spoil Mr. Modi’s image or harm him.
Mind you, Khalistan’s link in assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi in October 1984 was found bogus after rigorous probes. This is clear from Government’s action taken report on Justice Takkar Commission and Special Investigation Team’s reports laid in Parliament during late eighties.
This narration should not be misconstrued as an attempt to belittle PM’s security that has a direct bearing on the national security. Moreover, any harm to PM can create social unrest including riots. PM’s security should, however, not be politicised, thereby derailing truth.
Unfortunately, underlying issues in Mr. Modi’s security breach were ignored by all stakeholders. The web of unaddressed security issues, some lingering for two decades, thus require separate analysis.
Government money in 'magical' Footnotes - Truth lies hidden here
- Published on 22 December 2021
( Image Courtesy: taxindiaonline.com)
“If it is government money, then why should I care? This thinking had become the biggest obstacle in the balanced and all-round development of the country” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11th December 2021.
Mr. Modi made this apt & valuable observation while claiming that this thinking kept hanging Saryu Nahar National Project in Uttar Pradesh for decades. “We have done more work in the Saryu canal project than what was done in 5 decades in less than 5 years. This is a double engine government. This is the speed of work of the double engine government, our priority is to finish the project on time,” he added.
Hard facts about this three-phase projects, not mentioned by PM, would convey a different image from the political spin that he gave to Saryu Nahar. This is, however, a separate cup of tea.
We would, thus, here focus on the indifferent thinking about the government money. It is still raging like Covid-19 and its variants across the country. And it is happening right under the nose of powers that be.
India Scripts History With General Govt Debt Rising Towards 100% of GDP
- Published on 24 November 2021
(Image Courtesy: taxindiaonline.com)
“India scripts history” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21st October 2021 with hashtag #VaccineCentury. This pertains to India crossing milestone of administering 100 crore doses of covid vaccines.
The country is most likely to script another history that no one wishes for. And Mr. Modi has avoided making any reference to it in his daily sermons with clinical precision.
This is about emerging, alarming prospects of India’s public debt (PD) / general government debt (GGD) touching unsustainable 100% of gross domestic product (GDP). International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month analysed how close is India towards hitting the maiden GGD century. More of this later in this column.
As it is, official PD data is an under-estimate for two reasons. First, central and state governments continue to contrive new variants of off-budget borrowings (OBBs) to avoid their booking in the fiscal deficit. A search for ‘OBBs’ in CAG reports on central and state finances would show how deeply-entrenched is this problem.