BJP tightens noose, Subramanian Swamy avoids media

The BJP is set to take “strong action” against party MP Subramanian Swamy if he does not refrain from targeting party members and ministers. That he was virtually gagged became somewhat evident when on Tuesday an otherwise unrestrained Dr Swamy avoided the media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear on Monday that he was in no mood to tolerate Dr Swamy’s relentless attacks and remarks against government officials and party colleagues. Despite the warning, Dr Swamy quoted the Bhagvad Gita to reply to the saffron wrath he has incurred. He tweeted: “The world is in general equilibrium. A small change in one parameter effects changes in all variables. So Krishna advised: Sukh Dukhe...” The translation of the “sukhe dukhe...” quote reads, “Being equipoised in happiness and unhappiness, profit and loss, victory and defeat, thereafter prepare for battle and in this you will not incur sinful reaction.”

Before the PM ticked off Dr Swamy, the BJP rank and file had taken a serious view of his relentless targeting of party colleagues and government officials. While he was direct in his attack on RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and the chief economic adviser to the government, Arvind Subramanian, he tacitly targeted his arch-rival, finance minister Arun Jaitley. Speculation was rife that an annoyed Mr Jaitley cut short his China visit and returned to India after Dr Swamy, in a tweet, took an indirect dig at him, saying, “BJP should direct our ministers to wear traditional and modernised Indian clothes while abroad. In coat and tie they look like waiters.”

A senior party functionary told this newspaper that the BJP has decided to take “strong action against Swamy” if he continues with his remarks against party leaders and government officials. It was pointed out that the BJP leadership felt that Dr Swamy was “diverting attention from the good governance of the Modi sarkar and giving the Opposition a handle to target the BJP and the government”. It was learnt that the central leadership had cancelled three events supposed to be attended by Dr Swamy: the first was a commemoration in Mumbai of the anniversary of the Emergency on Sunday, the second an event organised by the BJP’s Maharashtra unit where Dr Swamy was to be the chief guest. The central leadership had also reportedly cancelled a similar event organised by its Tamil Nadu unit to host Dr Swamy for a speech on the Emergency.

Dr Swamy has always been “difficult” to handle. A senior BJP leader recalled that in his earlier avatar in the Janata Party, Dr Swamy had targeted the BJP’s tallest leader, Atal Behari Vajpayee.