PM Modi’s control is now complete

With the appointment of BJP General Secretary and its master strategist Amit Shah as the new president of the party by Parliamentary Board, the highest decision making body, the control of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on government as well as organization is now complete. PM Modi leaves no stone unturned in ensuring his stamp everywhere. Now both the PM and BJP President are from the state of Gujarat. Amit Shah has been PM Modi’s most trusted lieutenant since his Gujarat days. He was Home Minister in the state government when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He had to resign from the Modi ministry in Gujarat because of his alleged role in the fake police encounter cases. He has been a controversial but charismatic leader of the BJP. The credit of achieving spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections goes to Amit Shah as he was the in-charge of elections in the state. His spectacular success in UP catapulted him to the highest post in BJP. Winning more than 70 Lok Sabha seats out of 80 from the state of Uttar Pradesh is not an easy task. He has made it possible almost single-handedly. Amit Shah is also relatively young and dynamic and expert in infusing zeal, guts and courage in party workers to fight the opponent at the right point of time. It is also said that he has vast experience of galvanizing the party workers to fight the opponent successfully. It is alleged that he can also play communal and emotional card very shrewdly to polarize the voters in his party’s favour. With Amit Shah at the helms of the party, PM Modi will always be rest assured that he will have no problem from the side of organization. Now PM Modi is the law in BJP and no leader of the party can throw any sort of challenge to his authority. Now it is be everywhere Modi and none else in the BJP. Fifty-year-old Shah was trusted with the significant organizational role after he brought about BJP’s extraordinary victory in Uttar Pradesh and was able to nearly triple the party’s vote share in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.Shah has succeeded Rajnath Singh, who is now the Union home minister.He is expected to give a complete makeover to organizational structures, replacing at least three vice-presidents and three general secretaries, who are now ministers in the Modi cabinet. Shah was the Gujarat home minister under Modi when was chief minister of the state.He had to step down in 2010 after allegations that he sanctioned a fake encounter by the state police, which saw three Muslims being killed by officers who alleged they were terrorists planning to assassinate Modi. He also faces murder charges for allegedly allowing the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi. Shah denies the charges saying they are a political conspiracy.

First big test for Modi begins With the beginning of the Budget session of Parliament, the first big test of the newly elected Narendra Modi-led NDA government begins. The first day of the Budget session witnessed the ruckus created by the Opposition Congress and other parties over the issues of price rise and railway fare hike. Congress MPs rushed to the well to demand adjournment motion over price hike. The opposition members were so agitated and vociferous over the issues that the Speaker had to adjourn the Lok Sabha for the day. The scene that was witnessed in the Lok Sabha is not new. When BJP was in opposition, it had also created ruckus and bedlam in the Parliament on most of the days over same issue in the last 10 years during Congress-led UPA government. Now the Congress is in opposition and the BJP is in power so it is facing the same situation in Parliament from the beginning itself. Neither the ruling BJP nor the opposition Congress-led UPA loses anything and the ultimate looser is only the people of the nation and the national exchequer. Congress-led Opposition wanted to discuss the issue of price rise under adjournment motion as it is directly affecting the day to day lives of the poor people. The momentum of price rise of all essential commodities, including food items picked up during the previous UPA government is now getting speedier and speedier without any check. People are being burdened in the same way as in the previous government. So they find no difference between the two governments. They are confused which one of two is lesser evil. The all round rise in prices has made the lives of the poor very difficult. A sense of betrayal is being felt by the people because the Narendra Modi's promise of Ache Din (Good Days) appears to be in far distant. The people have also started saying that Ache Din for BJP leaders has come, when will it come for them? Modi-led NDA government hiked rail fare and freight before the budget session to avoid embarrassment in the Parliament. If the behaviour of the opposition Congress party inside and outside on the first day of Budget session is anything to go by, Narendra Modi-led NDA government must not make mistake of taking the opposition lightly. The action of the Congress party clearly showed that it was very much concerned with the common men's problems and it would never be found lacking in grilling the government on the issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must realize that the people saw in him their hope and aspiration. That is why they gave him massive mandate rule in the hope that he would bring relief for them. Now it is up to his government to deliver on the promises without any loss of time. The issues of price rise and rail fare hike have disrupted proceedings in Lok Sabha on the opening day of the Budget session on Monday with Opposition insisting on a discussion on the matter through adjournment motions.

Glimpses of statesmanship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first speech in Parliament to the debate on President's address to the joint session on his government's agenda clearly reflected that he is not as painted by the opposition but believer in the principle of working together for the development of the nation. Modi showed his commitment to fulfill every promise made in the agenda of his government which was told in President's address. He spoke in a way that clearly showed that a little bit of statesmanship had dawned on him with becoming the Prime Minister of India. He dwelt on every issue that the country is facing these days. First and foremost thing in his speech was that he pledged to take along the opposition in running the government despite its negligible presence in Parliament. Modi spoke about co-operative federalism without which the Union of India cannot achieve the desired goal of development. Adopting big brotherly attitude towards the states ruled by opposition parties will result in confrontation and that will mar the pace of development. So it is very good that Prime Minister has said about promoting co-operative federalism. PM Modi's commitment to the development of the poor makes the opposition charge against him hollow that he is working only for the benefit of Corporate and Industrialists. Modi lauded the role of labourers in the development of the nation. This is praise worthy. His first speech in the Parliament makes it clear that he is very much interested in working for the all round development of the nation with the weaker section of society on top of his priority. For that he rightly asked for support from all corners. There was not even a single sentence in his speech that could antagonize any section of society. With landslide victory and single party majority after 30 years given to BJP by the people of the nation, it is clear that the nation wants decisive and action-oriented government for development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also dwelt on how to do away with the criminalisation of politics. He rightly said that his government would request the Supreme Court to decide the culpability of any member of Parliament against whom there is a case within a year. If the MP is freed of all charges, he or she would sit in Parliament and if found guilty he or she would be in jail. It would be a very good move to deal with the criminalisation of politics. The most important thing that PM Modi said is that like Mahatma Gandhi's movement for freedom, there is a need to launch movement for development by all of us. His speech is full of positivity and in his first speech in Parliament he appeared to be committed for the development of the nation.

Worsening power situation in Delhi

National capital Delhi has been facing the worst type of power crisis when the heat wave in the city is at its peak. As Delhi is under President’s rule and Lt. Governor is head of the administration in the national capital, the Centre government can not evade from its responsibility. There have been more than 15 hours power cuts in almost all parts of Delhi. The people of the city in different parts have come out on the streets in protest against the long power cuts when the summer is at its peak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of good days is about to come has started pinching the Delhiites most in the first place. Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has blamed the previous Sheila Dikshit government for the long power cuts in the city. But the ground reality tells just the opposite to what he says or blames. It is during the Congrerss regime of Sheila Dikshit government that power supply in the city was well maintained. There was uninterrupted power supply to Delhi for 24X7. Delhiites were misled which the Congress party failed to counteract and it was badly defeated. Delhiites voted for the BJP overwhelmingly in the hope that it would provide better government. Though its coming to power is only a matter of days, blaming the previous government for power cuts can not be the excuse. The government of the day at the Centre must take serious note of long power cuts in the national caspital Delhi and act without any delay to plug all the loopholes in the supply of electricity to the city. Delhiites did not vote for Sheila Dikshit government because they were displeased, disillusioned and dissatisfied with it. They gave votes to BJP and sent all its seven candidates to Parliament not for living in darkness and sweltering heat. The condition of national capital Delhi has become worse than that of a country side village in terms of electric supply.Central government is partly responsible, if not wholly, for it. Delhi is not an ordinary city but it is the nation capital of India. If the condition of electricity and other civic amenities continued to deteriorate with the change of government at the Centre, it would send a very bad message about the newly elected Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. A well-planned campaigning against the Congress-led UPA government was launched by the BJP in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. Congress was badly defeated by it. Narendra Modi-led NDA government was formed at the Centre with promise of good days. But in contrary to the promise of good days, Delhiites are facing the worse days under his government. Union power minister Piyush Goyal has blamed the Sheila Dikshit government for the power crisis in Delhi and assured that the situation will improve in the next two weeks. It is nothing but ridiculous in its crudest form of explanation by the Union Power Minister.

Rising crimes against women in UP

It is not only Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh where two Dalits sisters were gang raped and murdered but also the north eastern states of Meghalay where some GNLA militants blew up the head of the woman because she resisted their rape attempts. The all time greatest playwright Shakespeare had rightly said in 16th century that the frailty thy name is woman. Shakespeare’s saying about woman is being exemplified in the 21st century. The way woman is treated in society by man as a very soft target to satisfy his bestial instinct is very bad. That is why the crime against women is rising. The UP govt. has totally failed to take any stringent measure to check crime against women, which is a serious cause of concern for the society. It is not only Uttar Pradesh where crime against women is committed without any fear of the rule of law but the other parts of the country also can not claim to provide full proof security to women against crime of any type. A woman who is sexually assaulted and killed in many cases might be anyone's sister, mother, daughter and wife in the society. If by launching awareness in society that the woman whom one amongst us sexually assault and murder may be our sister, daughter, mother and wife, it might be possible that the realization would prevail and crime against women would come down itself. As far as the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh is concerned, the lawlessness has been the hallmark of the Samajwadi Party in the state earlier also. And Akhilesh Yadav government of Samajwadi Party is no different from others of its ilk. So, we would be foolhardy to talk about the lawlessness in Uttar Pradesh as long as SP government of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is in the saddle there. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s defence of his government is that it is media which highlights the crime against women while it does not do in the case of other states. It is no excuse that the crime against women is rising in Uttar Pradesh because the situation in other states is no better. It is a ridiculous explanation from the CM of a state. Women are raped and murdered and then hanged from the tree in UP. The entire state of Uttar Pradesh is in the grip of criminals and they make women their prey at will. It clearly appears that there is no fear of law. Lawlessness is at its lowest ebb. In the worsening law and order situation in the biggest state of the nation, the Centre can not sit as a mute spectator beyond a limit. In the given situation Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bhar has rightly raised the issue of rising crimes against women in UP in Lok Sabha. Time has come for the Centre to intervene in UP’s deteriorating law and order affairs and ask the Akhilesh Yadav government either to enforce rule of law in the state or face the wrath. Union water resources minister Uma Bharti has rightly that there would be a debate in the Lok Sabha on rising crimes against women and the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

Insensitivity of UP govt

The Badaun gang rape and murder of two teen-aged sisters, who happen to be Dalits, and several rape incidents in various parts of Uttar Pradesh hang our head in shame. UP govt. has lost the sense of insensitivity. When Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asks the journalist you are not in danger in an answer to a question on barbaric incident in Badaun, it clearly shows his disrespect to the people’s concerns. It becomes more shameful and painful because the Chief Minister of the country’s largest state is Akhilesh Yadav, who is young and educated to whom people gave their mandate overwhelmingly to bring the state back on the track of development and progress. But the young CM has dashed the hope of the people to the ground in less than two years of his rule as yet. Law and order in Uttar Pradesh is at the lowest ebb and it appears that there is no rule of law in the state. The state is run on the principle of might is right. Despite the fact that people have rejected Samajwadi Party in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, it has learnt no lesson. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has completely failed to come out of the old guards of the party, who have been famous for encouraging the partymen to take law into their hands whenever the party is in power in the state to establish jungle raj. The two Dalit girls were gang raped and murdered in a village of Badaun. The girls had gone out of their house in the evening to attend the call of nature, but they did not return. The villagers found them hanging from the mango tree in the morning in a orchard of the village. The surprising thing is that among the five accused in the gang rape and murder incident the two of them are policemen. This shows that the persons who are entrusted to the protect the people have turn attackers. Protectors have turned into killers in the state of Uttar Pradesh.If police had taken timely action, this tragedy would not have taken place. The important thing here is to mark that SP goons have no fear of police. The police force in the state is so demoralized that police personnel are fearful of the SP goons. It clearly appears that Uttar Pradesh government is under the influence of criminal elements and because of that it can not act against them. Centre must not only carry out its ritualistic responsibility but also intervene and must ask state govt. that if it failed to restore rule of law, option is in place to impose President's rule. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited Badaun and met the family members of the deceased girls and consoled them. The father of a deceased girl refused to accept any monetary help and demanded CBI probe into gang rape and murder. Victims’ family considers this incident is even worse than the incident of 16 December, 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder. The father of the murdered girl demands that the culprits must be hanged publicly as they hanged his daughter from the tree. The law of our land does not allow tit for tat action despite the rules were made stringent to protect the women from sexual assault. But until and unless fast disposal of the cases of these types are not taken up by the court of law and stringent and deterrent punishment are not awarded on rapists-cum-murderers, the sense can not prevail on them. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is reportedly ready for CBI probe. It is now for the Centre to make announcement immediately and ask the investigating agency to do its job very quickly and impartially. It is not only law and order on which Akhilesh Yadav government has completely failed but also on the front of electric supply he is awefully short of people’s expectation in the state. The entire state of Uttar Pradesh except the home district of the CM and his family has been plunged into darkness. It clearly appears that the state has slipped into medieval age because of inept action of the SP government of Akhilesh Yadav.

Well begun is half done

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started his innings very well. The swearing-in ceremony of his 45-member Council of Ministers is over. He has taken charge and is well aware that now it is time for action. His ministry bears his stamp, and no sign of any intereference in the formation of his Cabinet by the BJP’s doting parent Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) has been seen. By nature Prime Minister Narendra Modi never likes to be guided or dictated by anyone. He takes his own decision and once taken, he puts everything into it to implement successfully. So, it is none but PM Modi’s way in the formation of his government. The two most senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, who were the faces of the Vajpayee-led NDA government, had been deliberately sidelined for the time being on the ground of their being over-aged as RSS issued instruction that leaders above 80s would not be taken into government and they would work as mentor or guide of the party. On account of the seniority of these two leaders, it would be very difficult for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring them to account for the lapses in their ministries. Their exclusion of from any role in the government clearly shows that Prime Minister Modi has got free hand to run his government. It is also clear from the massive mandate that Modi got that no leader of the party can show tantrums to him nor any alliance partner can do any bargaining. Though this is the first day of Prime Minister Modi in his office, he is a man of action. So on the first day itself he will show his grit and decision making capacity in his first Cabinet meeting, which is scheduled to be held today at 5.30 PM. The economic condition is going from bad to worse and the inflation is unbridled. Prime Minister Modi knows it well. The people, who have given him massive mandate to alleviate their pain and sufferings caused by sky-rocketing price and unchecked corruption, have very high expectation of him. To confront with the problem of economic crisis like situation successfully must be the main task of the new government. The hope of the people from this government is very high and it is also correct to say they run out of patience very soon at least on the issue of price rise. So Prime Minister Narendra Modi must act withoult any delay to bring down the prices of essential commodities and food items so that the message could among the public that this is the government that acts. As far as the presensence of heads of governments of Saarc nations at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at his invitation is concerned, it is noble attempt to improve relations with all neighbours in South Asia. It also shows the statesmanship of our new Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every one knows that talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Shaif will give no result, but the start has to be made that Modi did successfully. By cutting the size of his Council of Ministers considerably in comparison to the previous government's huge and heavy one, PM Modi has given first signal that he is going to do in the same way as he promised to do while election campaignings. Minimum government and maximum governance was his slogan in the election campaigning. So, his Council of Ministers reflects it amply. It will not only cut down the expenditure of the government in this very tight position but also streamline its functioning.