The functioning of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister is noted also in relation to his penchant for selective amnesia, which often creates situations of selectively targeting errant individuals and firms. The latest is the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi Liquor Scam case. Those who err must face the consequences; and Kejriwal cannot be an exception. Whether the CM is guilty of the charges levelled against him, or not, is to be proven in a court of law. The principal charge against him and others is that the Delhi government tweaked its liquor policy to favour some spirit firms with the aim of corruption and bribe-taking. It would be a commentary of our times that a politician who won power repeatedly on the anti-corruption planks should end up in a situation like this. This is also a commentary on the way politics is being practised here. Fighting elections to parliament and assemblies requires huge sums for every party. The way forward to improve the scenario is to effect reforms in the way elections are held. A half-hearted approach to reforms is fraught.
The alleged act of taking gratification from one or more agencies on a quid pro quo basis in the context of formulation of a governmental policy is corruption. Fact of the matter, however, is that all the parties running governments are doing this. The people (voters) seldom get to know of these. Quid pro quo is evident also in the way the BJP accepted funds via electoral bonds from a large number of firms that were facing investigations from ED/CBI. Stunningly, none of these investigations has been taken to their logical conclusions. Quid pro quo in governmental functioning and the play of vested interests are evident across the board. Having earned an expertise in such dealings, it is understandable how easily the Modi establishment caught Kejriwal and company on the wrong foot.
The Modi government has unleashed its investigating agencies against almost every opposition leader but very few of these politicians have been framed and fewer numbers of them have been arrested. Sharks like Sharad Pawar, Kamal Nath etc., have not been proceeded against with any seriousness. It’s also shameful that Modi has not been able to punish those who were behind the 2G Spectrum, the CWG and coal scams, despite the past 10 years of investigations under his guidance. For a leader with any sense of integrity, acting in the best interests of the nation should be a matter of prime importance. Under such conditions, there is no scope for selective amnesia.
