The manner in which some opposition leaders are strongly reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s measures against corrupt leaders clearly indicates that Modi has cornered the opposition on the issue of corruption. Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti, presently contesting from Bihar’s Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat, has threatened to send Modi and top BJP leaders behind bars if I.N.D.I.A bloc comes to power. In faraway Port Blair, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda reacted by saying, “it seems opposition leaders have become frustrated because they fear defeat at the hustings and are therefore targeting Modi”. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, Misa Bharti is herself an accused in the “land-for-job” scam in Railways, and she should be more worried about her future. BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde said, “people are watching the opposition leaders who first said, they would send Modi to his grave (Modi Teri Qabr Khudegi), and are now saying they will put Modi in jail…The voters will reply to this”.
However, on Friday, after pressure from top RJD leaders, Misa Bharti retracted her remark and said she did not threaten to send Modi and BJP leaders to jail. Misa Bharti said, “I had said, the corrupt will be sent to jail, but my words were twisted and the media should not set the agenda for the country”. Misa’s brother RJD chief Teajshwi Yadav refrained from commenting on the issue and instead blamed BJP for digressing from main election issues. Tejashwi knows that the more debate continues on corruption, it can harm the opposition. Tejashwi is getting huge turnout at his rallies and he is raising issues relating to price rise and unemployment. At his Aurangabad rally, Tejashwi even sang to describe Modi as “dhokebaaz” (cheat). Tejashwi is trying to follow his father Lalu Yadav’s campaign style and he keeps caste equations in Bihar in mind. He is making full use of social media and is refraining from harping on issues that can cause political damage to his party.
In most of his rallies, Tejashwi reminds voters by saying, when he was in power in Bihar, he appointed nearly 5 lakh youths in government jobs and carried out caste census. But Tejashwi remains mum on ticklish issues like corruption and Sanatan (Hindutva). On the other hand, Prime Minister Modi in his whirlwind tour across the country, has been raising the issue of corruption and dynastic politics in each of his rallies. In Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, Modi described corruption as “termite” and clearly said that action against corrupt politicians will continue, howsoever INDIA bloc leaders may try to resist. “The corrupt will not be spared, they will have to go to jail”, Modi asserts in each of his rallies. Modi also explains the social welfare schemes that his government has implemented to uplift the poor, and the amazing recovery made by the Indian economy during his regime. But corruption remains the most important issue in Modi’s speeches. Modi says, the corrupt will not be spared and he explains how CBI and ED made water-tight cases of corruption and money laundering against some opposition leaders and sent them to jails. Modi does not forget to remind voters of how the opposition “insulted Sanatan Dharma” by refusing to attend the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram in Ayodhya. Modi knows, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue is 500 years old and it is linked with the faith of more than a billion Indians. That is why, Modi’s campaign seems to be more effective compared to other opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi.
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