Anti-Modi forces are getting really desperate
lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan's desperate attempt to implicate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an alleged case of payoffs to politicians in Gujarat when Modi was that State's Chief Minister, has fallen flat on the face. It was bound to, given that it's one thing to fling wild accusations in the public domain and another to substantiate them in a court of law. On Friday, the Supreme Court junked the material Bhushan placed before a two-judge Bench that he claimed pointed to irregularities Modi had indulged in. This is precisely what the general perception across the country is: The Prime Minister's rivals don't hesitate to use flimsy ‘evidence' against Modi in the hope that, even if they cannot put him in the dock, they can at least taint his image. This has been evident in the manner the anti-Modi industry has worked overtime to accuse him of personal negligence at best and complicity at worst during the 2002 Gujarat violence.
That their individual and joint efforts have led to nowhere, demonstrates the hollowness of their accusations. In the case at hand, the Supreme Court was hearing an appeal by an NGO, Common Cause, which has links with Prashant Bhushan. Common Cause had filed a petition before the court seeking an investigation into the alleged payoffs to politicians, including the then Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi. The money had supposedly been given by corporate houses to extract favours. The documents Bhushan provided were supposed to have been of the Sahara group as well the Birlas, and received, according to the lawyer-activist, through a whistleblower. The apex court found the material “fictitious” and “zero” and refused to proceed on the basis of such dubious and unauthentic stuff. It has given the petitioner time until December 14 to return with substantive documents if the latter wanted the case to go ahead. The court told Bhushan that if he failed to do so, then he ought to “take back the petition”. Indeed, had it not been for his pathological dislike for the Prime Minister, an astute lawyer like Prashant Bhushan would not have relied on such questionable material for his case.
It is obvious from the incident that those like Prashant Bhushan have yet to come to terms with the reality despite two-and-a-half years having gone by — which is that Narendra Modi has become the country's Prime Minister with the overwhelming support of the people of the country. He led the party to victory despite the best attempts his rivals made in the process to derail his chances by levelling multiple charges against him and doing their worst to malign his integrity in the public eye. These people have not had a night's proper sleep ever since, clutching at straws to defame him. The latest occasion they have seized upon is the NDA Government's demonetisation decision, driven personally by the Prime Minister. His action has been questioned; the timing of his action has been pilloried; his intent has been doubted; and his competence in hand-holding a monumental decision and taking it to a logical conclusion has been ridiculed. And yet, his critics have been unable to dilute the public perception that demonetisation has been for the larger national good. But, regardless of their failure, they will continue with their frustrated outpourings.