The cat phrase “Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai” was proved correct by none else but Narendra Modi himself when he succeeded in his mission to have Mahua Moitra of TMC expelled from Lok Sabha by manipulating the parliamentary procedures and practices. In the history of the parliamentary politics this was for the first time a member was expelled using unsubstantiated narrations and unverified evidences.
Modi’s hurry and his resolute determination to have her evicted from the house was evident from the manner in which the Ethics committee ignoring the ethics of morality, natural justice and parliamentary provisions recommended her expulsion. The trial of Mahua and the judgement pronounced by the Ethics bore clear impression of a well written script directed by the BJP high command. The resolution of the committee made it explicit that Modi is determined to take revenge for her acerbic jibes against him. Else apparently there was no tenable reason to order press her expulsion.
Modi’s action nevertheless reinforced without any doubt that he utterly lacks a correct political understanding and perception. No astute and visionary politician would dare to commit hara-kiri at this crucial stage when the Lok Sabha election is knocking at the door. His resolve to throw her out of Lok Sabha also underlines his arrogance. At some level he nurses the belief that these incidents are irrelevant and would not antagonise the people.
His action will undoubtedly have a pan Indian impact on the voters, but BJP will be worst affected in West Bengal, where he and his saffron cadres are fantasizing to throw Mamata out of power. Mamata an astute politician could sense the implication of Modi’s move. To ensure that Modi’s mission does not inflict any damage to the electoral prospect of TMC, she has brought about fundamental changes in her approach towards Mahua. Till a few days back she was maintaining distance. But now Mahua is the precious catch. After Mahua’s expulsion she rediscovered her old ferocity. Reposing her full faith in Mahua she cautioned Modi describing action of expulsion as a ‘classic example of retaliatory politics.
This word of solidarity from Mamata has come as biggest solace for Mahua. She has been anxiously waiting this word of solidarity from her. Mamata’s message was distinct; “Mahua, I tell you, is a victim of the circumstances. I strongly condemn expulsion and the party completely stands with Mahua. Our party, along with our INDIA alliance partners, will fight this together”. Camping in Darjeeling, she said; “They have done injustice to her. Mahua may not be able to attend one Parliament session. But she can attend the people’s parliament right outside her house. It will boost her morale and image. She should fight this boldly and we will fight this boldly (along with her). A couple of months (outside parliament) wouldn’t matter much. But what matters is the decision (taken by the BJP)”.
Curiously Mamata has been the last hope for the minorities in Bengal, but Mahua’s fierce attacks and tirades against Modi has projected her as the queen of the masses, irrespective of whether he is Hindu or Muslim. It is her attaining this stature that Congress was striving to get back in its fold. The expulsion has projected her image of a victim of the Modi’s politics of revenge. Already Mamata has described the expulsion as revenge action.
The TMC leadership would naturally play the victim card to rope in the support of the urban middle class and Bhadralok. Mamata also provided the indication of her future electoral strategy by saying that peoples’ will be right outside her house. Meanwhile some Congress leaders have started talking of entrusting her with the task to help Mamata as her representative to coordinate the functioning of INDIA in Bengal. This will continue to remind the Bengalees of the humiliation that was inflicted on her by Modi. Moreover her anti Adani image will help the left oriented voters to incline towards INDIA.
A yet another dimension which is being cited for Mahua’s expulsion is, Modi does not intend to allow her to embarrass him before the election by frequently raising Adani issue inside the house. If he nurses the feeling that he would succeed in gagging her voice by throwing her out of house, he is certainly living in fools paradise.
The report of the Ethics Committee is really deceptive. It alleged that she had committed “unethical conduct” and “contempt of the House” in a “cash-for-query”. Even if one assumes that by furnishing her portal login to her friend Darshan Hiranandani she committed unethical conduct, the Ethics committee nonetheless could not prove she had taken money from him for asking questions in the house. The Committee depicted her action as “threat to national security”.
BJP’s desperation to throw her out of house was so intense that the recommendation of the Committee that Government of India should held “intense, legal, institutional inquiry in a time-bound manner” into the “money trail of cash transactions between Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani” was outright ignored.
The attitude BJP high command gives rise to suspicion that a plan has been hatched up to frame Mahua and send her to jail. National Security has been the pet agenda of Modi and RSS for implicating detractors in false and fabricated cases. In Mahua’s case the ground has already been prepared by the Committee.
BJP ought to realise an expelled Mahua would be more dangerous. Goes a proverb an injured snake is more lethal. She does not forgive her tormentor. Modi has hurt her pride and she has already vowed to avenge her humiliation. Just after her expulsion, Mahua equated her expulsion with hanging by a “kangaroo court” and alleged the parliamentary panel is being weaponised by the government to force the opposition into submission.
Flushed with fury she cautioned Modi. “You (BJP) hate minorities, you hate women, you detest naari shakti… I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years, inside Parliament, outside Parliament, in the gutter, on the streets…We will see the end of you.” She lashed out for “disregarding the due process” of natural justice and “abusing every tenet” of law in meting out her punishment of the alleged cash-for-questions imbroglio. She observed; “This the beginning of your end. Jab Naash Manush Par Chhata Hai, Tab Pehle Vivek Mar Jata Hai. We are going to come back and we are going to see the end of you.”
What was significant was even Sonia Gandhi with entire opposition stood behind her while she talked to the media just outside the gate of the Lok Sabha. Her expulsion has no doubt revived the spirit of the INDIA bloc. A rejuvenated INDIA with a defined objective would prove to be more dangerous for Modi. Basking in the shadow of inflated ego Modi probably nursed the view that procedure of the Ethics Committee would override the fundamental principles of natural justice, which is the organising principle of every justice system in the world.
The INDIA leaders are convinced that this is a travesty of justice, it would set a very undesirable precedent for the future. Modi will resort to many other tactics to terrorise and coerce them. Manickam Tagore, the Congress whip in the Lok Sabha observed; “Modi government would ruthlessly silence anyone who raised questions about Gautam Adani. “Koi bhi Adani ke khilaf baat karega, uska awaaz band kardiya jayega. Ye naya Parliament hai, yahi naya kanoon hai (Anyone who speaks against Adani will be silenced. This is the new Parliament, this is the new law)”. “They harassed Rahul Gandhi but failed to silence him. Mahua is another example. The Modi-Shah conspiracy to silence Mahua has won and democracy has lost.”
The battle lines have now been drawn, It is just not Mahua vs. BJP, it is INDIA vs. BJP. The coming days are set to witness closer understanding of the INDIA constituents on the issues of democracy and rights and ethics for members of Parliament. The non-BJP opposition can very well make use of the undemocratic expulsion of Mahua to step up the campaign against the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections. (IPA Service)
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