Opinion

Congress’ June 13 plans and the BJP ridicule

The ED has summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for interrogation in the National Herald case on June 13

A war of words is on between the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, as the day of Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning of Rahul Gandhi nears. While the Congress is looking to make the event a mass spectacle so as to show solidarity, the BJP is heaping ridicule on the rival outfit.

The ED has summoned Rahul Gandhi for interrogation in the National Herald case on June 13, and the party has rallied behind their favourite leader as if to provide moral support. Besides, the Congress party has directed all Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and also MPs to take out a march to the ED office in New Delhi where the questioning is being scheduled.

As if these were not enough, the grand old party is also all geared up to organise satyagrahas as a show of strength. Besides the show of strength, the events planned by the party is aimed at proclaiming to the whole of India that the ED is being misused by the top leaders of the BJP.

Congress show of strength planned on June 13

With the show of strength being planned on June 13 in front of all the offices of the Enforcement Directorate, the Congress party wants to tell the people that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should be held responsible for the gross misuse of the investigating agency as per their whims and fancy.

The proposed show of strength by the Congress has however prompted much rebuke from the part of the BJP. The party functionaries are not letting go of the opportunity to shout out that the Congress is scared as Rahul Gandhi and his people have committed fraud in the National Herald case. They have even made use of the opportunity to compare the Congress way of facing the issue with how Narendra Modi walked into the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team’s office back in 2010 when the Gujarat riots were being investigated.

Stating that Modi had calmly driven to the SIT office and spend almost an entire day answering investigators’ queries without any political show, the BJP has said that the way Modi cooperated with the questioning is something Rahul Gandhi should learn from. As a citizen and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi had then respected the law. More than that, his behaviour had made people aware of the lies that were being spread against him, the BJP has claimed.

BJP holds aloft Modi example

All said, the BJP striving hard to hold aloft the merits of its supreme leader is understandable. The Congress party going all out to establish the fact that it is still a formidable force by gathering en masse in front of ED offices on the day of Rahul Gandhi’s questioning may also be seen as a desperate party event. However, the two parties playing the ‘oh so virtuous’ card at this juncture is hard to fathom.  

Instead of letting the investigating agency carry on with its job, making noises would mean nothing to the common man. In a scenario where everyone seems to be aware that cases stem out of political rivalry, such arguments, lessons in behaviour, and ‘I’m so clean’ stance don’t stand a chance. It is for the parties to fight things out for themselves than making it a political podium to proclaim virtues that don’t exist.

Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »

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