2024 General Elections: Frustration leads to Desperation | JP Gadkari

May 2, 2024

It is said that when frustratiion sets in, people get desparate and indulge in making illogical moves, talk about events twisting things out of context or indulge in telling blatant lies and repeatedly defend those lies..

We can see this happening in the case of our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since the time his own Govt’s intelligence sources started reporting to him that the picture emerging throughout the country in general as far as election 2024 prospects are concerned is not so favourable to his party, he appears to have gone into total frustration mode. This was further aggravated after the principal Opposition party, the Congress, came out with its most realistic and objective manifesto which contains the real issues concerning the people and their realistic solutions challenging the "Modi Guarantees" based on past record of failure to fulfil any of them.

Take for instance Modi’s accusation that Congress manifesto makes an assurance that if voted to power, it will "redistribute" the wealth of people including gold and savings "kept in Bajra -Jowar boxes" (food grain boxes) and even their "Mangalsutras" (the gold and black beads chain worn by all married Hindu women) and give it to the "Muslims". The Congress party not only immediately countered the allegation challenging Mr Modi to prove it but filed a complaint with the Election Commission asking for an action against him (Modi) including his disqualification for a serious violation of M odel Code of Conduct (MCC) on many counts.

However, undeterred by the complaint launched against him, and the EC issuing notices to Congress and BJP party chiefs, Modi is persisting with his campaign full of blatant untruths. He has also accused Congress of planning to bring "religion-based" quota in pursuance of its "appeasement" policy.

In an exclusive interview given to Times of India Bangalore edition recently, he has come out with many new allegations against the previous Congress Govt’s. Ignoring the repeated polarising campaign being conducted by his own party, and creating communal disharmony among two communities, Mr Modi has again accused the Congress party of appeasement of minorities and says: "When Congress talks of redistributon (of wealth), it cannot touch properties of minorites but will eye properties of all other communities. This will sow COMPLETE AND IRREVERSIBLE COMMUNAL DISHARMONY."

His interview reeks of communal hatred and targetting of the Muslim community. Arguing further on this point Modi says in his interview : "We should not consider this sinister plan of the Congress as an idle threat - the threat is very real and stands to hurt our nation irreversibly. "

He further accused the Congress of following "Maoist" ideology. Modi further says: "This is a clear example of MAOIST THINKING and ideology.......which is a recipy for disaster."

Defending his slogan of securing more than 400 seats for NDA, Modi says: "One of the main reasons why we want to win 400 seats is to protect the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs in our country...........so that the evil designs of the opposition to take away their reservation and rights and give it to THEIR VOTE BANKS are foiled."

Defending the introduction of the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Modi says: "UCC is one of core agendas of the party. It is clear that separate laws for communities (mainly Muslims) are detrimental to the health of society. We cannot be a nation, where one community is progressing with the support of the constitutional norms, while the other community is stuck in the time rap due to APPEASEMENT."

Modi ji’s frustration level has further gone up after the second phase of voting when it was realised that the low level of voting percentage is not going to be favourable to the ruling BJP. If it continues to be the same in the remaining five phases , the prediction being made by several sources and poll experts that BJP may not even reach the figure of 200 seats is giving nightmares to Modi and BJP leadership.

In the meantime, the Election Commission (E C) has not taken any action on Congress complaint against Modi’s serious breach of MCC so far. On the contrary, in order to display its impartiality, the E C has issued notices to both Congress and BJP leadership to submit their explanation within a week. Both parties have sought more time for submitting their replies.