Allies Unhappy With Big Brother
By Insaf
All does not seem to be well in the ruling NDA alliance with allies making plain their unhappiness with the BJP’s non-cooperativeness in the States. At a meeting with BJP President to ensure better coordination in the forthcoming Parliament’s Budget session, Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena and RPI bluntly told Amit Shah that they did not feel “it was our Government”. They cited the example of inordinate months’ long delay in meeting Prime Minister Modi which was unlike the previous Vajpayee Government where “even a five-minute notice would suffice”. Moreover, they expressed discontent over not being consulted on important issues, like New Delhi’s Pakistan policy. Another issue was the damage done to the NDA’s image over the death of Dalit student at Hyderabad University coupled with the storm over granting Delhi’s renowned Jamia Millia University minority status whereby the Central Government was seen to be anti-minority. The Alkalis’ wanted a reassurance that the Punjab Pact would continue for next years Assembly poll while Bihar’s regional Parties Lok Janshakti and RLSP expressed their angst against treatment meted out to them in the recent State elections. Despite, Shah’s efforts at assuaging his political cronies by reiterating the BJP’s commitment to continuing its alliance for 2019’s general elections, the allies are waiting and watching Big Brother’s conduct in the coming months.
This is not all. Sharp differences have grown between BJP-ruled Gujarat and coalition partner Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. The bone of contention is sharing of waters between the States. Maharashtra continues to block the Centre’s ambitious two river-linking projects, Damanganga-Pinjal and Par Tapi-Narmada since last year. As a quid-pro-quo, Gujarat wants its neighbour to allocate more water from the Tapi River in lieu of it giving Maharashtra an additional share from the Damanganga-Pinjal link. Notably, despite Union Water Resources Minister trying to broker peace to move ahead on these projects as they were beneficial for both States, it is a moot point whether the two will smoke the peace pipe.
BJP Olive Branch To PDP
The BJP has finally extended an olive branch to its Kashmir ally PDP to break the logjam in Government formation. Softening its stand, Party Chief Shah has invited Mehbooba Mufti to Delhi towards sorting out all contentious issues. At the root of the problem are PDP’s demands for adherence to the Agenda for Governance, revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and handing back to the State two hydro projects from the NHPC. Despite BJP State leaders opposition to “too much appeasement” as it would damage the Party’s electoral vote banks in Jammu, the Central leadership continues to make overtures and has offered a fat financial lollypop in the Union Budget. Will Mehbooba bite?
Law & Order In Up
Ulta-Pulta UP is back in the limelight over worsening law and order in the State. Accusing the Akhilesh Government of unleashing “jungle raaj”, the BJP State leadership wants the Centre to ask Governor Ram Naik to send a report. Towards that end it has cited the death of a child in celebratory fire works by Samajwadi workers in Shamli. More shocking, the police not only remained mute spectators but also covered up the incident. Indicting the State Government of turning a blind eye to the mayhem of firing by drunken goons, it wondered if searching for a Minister’s missing buffaloes was more important than nabbing the culprits! Will Naik oblige his former colleagues?
Governors, Uphold Constitution
Amidst the ongoing impasse in Arunachal Pradesh with the Assembly under suspended animation and the Supreme Court legalese on Governor Rajkhowa’s conduct and powers alongside persistent complaints by various State Governments over Governors behaving as torch-bearers of the NDA Government, President Mukherjee has advised State Heads to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution. Addressing 23 Governors and Lt Governors at the 47th Conference of Governors on Tuesday, he reminded the Centre that its schemes like Make in India, Start-up India, and Swachh Bharat etc would only be successful if they were run in close partnership with various State Governments. Undeniably, this is not the first time Mukherjee has voiced his concerns over deteriorating Centre-State relations but it remains to be seen if Governors heed the President’s advise?
Beef Controversy In Haryana
The ruling BJP Government in Haryana has yet again raised a furore over beef. After Chief Minister Khattar’s controversial decision to ban beef, it is now the turn of his Health colleague to tell beef eaters to stay away from the State. Underscoring the BJP Government commitment for protection of cows, the Health Minister Vij cited the example of many countries worldwide which Indians did not visit due to their food habits. Avowing gau sewa as paramount, Vij also rubbished grant of special licences to foreigners to consume beef as there was no legal provision to do so. Recall, last October two BJP-ruled States Gujarat and Maharashtra too had raised the ante against eating beef and shut slaughter houses for four days in deference to the Jain’s Paryushan festival. In UP also all hell broke lose when a Muslim was lynched to death post a rumour that his family had eaten and stored beef in their refrigerator. Resulting in an endless spiral of vicious verbal bashing and counter-wallops on cow slaughter and beef eating. What next? —INFA