The raging controversy heating the election scenes reported during the visit of Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi to Ferozepur in Punjab. It was a minor lapse which happened because of the vagaries of weather and the abrupt decision of Modiji to take a road journey from Bhatinda to Ferozepur.
P.M. Modi’s comment, “Apne CM ko thanks kehna, ki main Bathinda airport tak zinda laut paaya (Say thanks to your CM that I reached Bathinda airport alive)” was avoidable. It has been neither confirmed nor denied by the P.M. Modi. The Himalayan controversy was built upon this molehill.
If the comment was really made by Modi, it was uncharitable on his part. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi has given details of how he respects the Prime Minister, and deems it his duty to cooperate with him and how he did his best to facilitate his visit to his state. Mr. Channi has taken the PM’s comment as an attack on Punjab and Punjabiyat.
Indians see Mr. Modi’s comment in the context of forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and other four states, including Uttar Pradesh. They feel that the security lapse (if it happened) has been blown out of proportion with an eye on elections. Mr. Modi has turned it into an event as he is a great event manager. RSS, BJP and their affiliates are adept in turning their mistakes into their achievements. The IT department and troll armies are propagating with full force that the life of PM Modi was indeed in imminent danger and imaginary terrorists were well prepared to attack and eliminate him on the Punjab border where Modi’s cavalcade was stopped for 15 minutes.
The ruling party must avoid fooling the electorate that the PM’s life is in danger. He is more than protected. Since the time he was in Gujarat several people have been killed after having been alleged to have ‘conspired to kill him’. The same is happening with many people in Bhima Koregaon case, in which they have been shown as conspirators to ‘assassinate P.M. Modi’. The tragedy is that even after 3-4 years the proceedings of the case have not started.
India along with the world is watching keenly what happens in U.P. and four other states. People would be continuously hoodwinked or they realise the overall failures of the ruling party and would give a fitting answer to it. It is a decisive moment in the recent history of our largest country and the second populous nation in the world.
It is also worthwhile to keep in mind Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s saying, tweeted by Chief Minister Channi: “The one who is concerned more about his life than his duty, should not take a big responsibility in a country like India.”