Sunil Gatade | Modi’s BJP Faces a Paradox: It’s Right on Top, but Is Under Siege Too

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP is facing a unique paradox. It is at the top of the electoral game but at the same time is facing an unprecedented siege, most of which is of its own making.

The Budget Session of Parliament currently on is a testimony to the siege, where the treasury benches are in a defensive mode, whatever might be the issue.

For the first time in 11 years, Mr Modi looked helpless while listening to the attack of Rahul Gandhi on the China issue in connection with the unpublished book of former Army chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane, which sought to rip off the PM’s boasts over national security.

Strangely, the reactive mode of the government is all the more acute as the Budget Session is mainly for transacting the official agenda, which automatically entails that the powers that be would prevail in every way.

Unlike any time in the recent past, the Opposition has been able to set the narrative in the session so far, much to the chagrin of the government’s managers.

Once derided as “Pappu”, Rahul Gandhi is setting the agenda from start to finish. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is enjoying every moment.

Worse for the ruling side is that Mr Gandhi has become a tactful batter, knowing full well that he has to doggedly remain on the field.

Prime Minister Modi’s unprecedented action of remaining away from the Lok Sabha and not replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address has made it amply clear that the strong man has feet of clay. This despite whatever might have been touted as the alibi.

In 2014, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was unable to deliver his reply in the Lok Sabha because of continuous disruptions and uproar from Opposition members. But at that time, he had tabled his prepared speech.

The claim that the PM was asked by the Speaker not to come to the House as there was a threat to his life has created more questions than answers. If the Leader of the House is not safe and secure in the House that he leads, where else can he be? This is an inevitable and embarrassing question.

The angry letter of women Congress MPs in the matter has added another dimension.

The move by virtually the entire Opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla is, in a way, aimed at the Prime Minister. The PM handpicked the Speaker and gave him a second term, the second time this has happened in independent India.

The Speaker’s choice to abstain from presiding over the House is causing more problems for the government, as a deputy speaker is not in place and those who are on the panel of chairmen are not that experienced.

Nirmala Sitharaman has always been overly severe on the Opposition, allegedly to win points with the powers that be.

In the just-concluded first half of the session, Mr Modi suffered a double whammy. Mr Gandhi turned out to be the tormentor on the issue of national security, lamenting that when Gen. Naravane sought political direction in the face of an aggressive China in parts of the border, he was merely told “jo uchit samjho woh karo”. It meant neither here nor there;

The issue of economic sovereignty and strategic autonomy was taken care of by US President Donald Trump, who not only dictated terms to India but also ensured that it looked so. “My friend” Donald’s constant jibes, pinpricks and sarcastic comments since his declaration ad nauseam that he mediated peace between warring India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor had already taken the sheen off the “tough guy” image of Mr Modi.

The rest of the demolition of the PM’s image was during the India-US trade agreement, which gradually spread the impression that India has been given a raw deal, with Washington DC turning into the “big bully” to extract the most from a helpless New Delhi, which wanted a deal under any circumstances.

In fact, it really appeared that Mr Trump had left no escape route for Mr Modi.

As an expert, not known to be pro-Congress, put it: “This is not the first time that India has had to bend under pressure from Big Powers. But this is the first time such bending is being portrayed as a great achievement.”

Going hammer and tongs, Mr Gandhi is making mincemeat of this narrative. All the propaganda juggernauts of the ruling side look like they are falling flat. The more Mr Gandhi is being attacked, the more he is gaining strength.

Usually, the PM used to set the agenda by using various tricks and using the polarisation card to the hilt. It used to be “shamshan vs kabristan” or “ek hai to safe hai”, or something that would galvanise his image of Hindu Hruday Samrat.

“56-inch-ki chati” was his favourite to project that independent India had never produced a strong leader like him. The world’s largest party is in deep waters and doesn't know how to stop the Leader of the Opposition.

Abandoning the process of a privilege motion against Mr Gandhi is a belated realisation that it would ultimately be beneficial to him, as he could use the same to score goals. But it is thinking of a proposal of a far-reaching nature that would not just end Mr Gandhi’s membership of the House now but would also debar him from contesting elections in his lifetime.

The government’s order to a news website to take down a cartoon of the PM is extremely telling. Those who projected the major Opposition leader as a cartoon on a daily basis are now terrified of a cartoon of their own leader.

The writer is a journalist based in New Delhi