- Created on Thursday, 20 January 2022 08:36
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(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.
Did Rajiv Gandhi resort to theatrics when he was attacked by a Sri Lankan naval guard with a rifle butt at Colombo? The rifle butt hit him on the left shoulder and grazed his head at the Guard of Honour. Mr. Gandhi maintained his calm.
Showing exemplary statesmanship, he said goodbye to Sri Lankan President Jayawardene before slipping into a car. He showed to avoid serious injury during the attack. SPG personnel, providing proximate security, on the other hand, were relatively slow to react.
Turn now to much-maligned UPA regime. The Congress Party and UPA-aligned media didn’t create hue and cry when PM Dr. Manmohan Singh faced a few security breaches.
A serious security lapse happened during Dr. Singh's visit to Kerala on 31st October 2006. The pilot car of PM’s carcade was driven by taxi driver and not by Kerala Police personnel!
This was a deviation from procedure specified in Blue Book on PM security. The pilot car had deviated from pre-decided route from Thiruvananthapuram airport to Raj Bhavan. This brought carcade to a screeching halt.
Another security breach occurred during Dr. Singh's visit to Thrissur in Kerala on 25th December 2010. The first security breach happened on 27th July 2006 when private car entered one of the inner gates of PM’s residence without any stop.
Almost every predecessor of Mr. Modi faced some security alarm. Even late Pranab Mukherjee as President of India got caught in Kolkota’s traffic jam in 2017. Did he mock Didi? No.
Traffic jams are an integral part of population & poverty cursed, duties-lax India. Way back on 28th March 1954, massive traffic jam occurred on the road from Delhi to Tilpat Range, Faridabad. The latter was the site of a firepower show organized by Indian Air Force (IAF).
Some VIPs could not reach Tilpat! Many reached late. “Even the Air Marshal was held up in the traffic jam, and reached Tilpat Range towards the end of the Display” admitted PM Jawahar Lal Nehru. As a stateman, he apologized profusely on behalf of Government in Lok Sabha on 5th April 1954. No one accused anyone of endangering security of Air Marshal and other VIPs
Leave aside history, the recent past has instances of foreign heads of States and ministers caught in traffic jams. Remember what happened in Indonesia during October 2017. Its President Joko Widodo walked three kilometers in scorching heat to an event site after getting stuck I traffic jam for 30 minutes. British Prime Minister David Cameron become sitting duck in a traffic jam in London during May 2010.
Similarly, the cases of CMs caught in traffic jams are common. Instances of blame game and jibes are, however, hard to come by. Hence the need for introspection by all stakeholders who saw murder plot in Mr. Modi’s security breach.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana’s recent call to all rulers to introspect daily over their decisions. In his convocation address at an Institute during November 2021, “All the rulers in the democratic set-up, before beginning their routine work, should introspect whether they have any bad characteristics”.
This sage advice is equally applicable to mass media that exercise huge influence not only on the citizens but also the rulers.
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