With the elevation of Amit Shah as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grip is complete on both government and party. Two Gujaratis now control India’s biggest political party. This brings to mind the time, a century ago, when two other powerful Gujaratis, Gandhi and Jinnah, guided India’s then biggest political party.
Reports say Shah is being rewarded for delivering 71 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh (UP), but I disagree and I will explain why later.
Before the elections, Shah was Modi’s former minister of state for home in Gujarat, a portfolio he held for about a decade. During this time, he was charged in a case where a man, Sohrabuddin Shaikh, was wrongly accused of terrorism and murdered. His wife Kauser and a witness, Tulsiram Prajapaty, were also both murdered. All of this was done, according to their confessions, by the Gujarat police under Shah, and the case is currently being tried by a court.
Despite the charges, Shah was appointed BJP president by his party’s 13-member parliamentary board, which includes LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, who are opposed to Modi’s accumulation of power, but today are powerless themselves.
The outgoing president, India’s home minister, Rajnath Singh, said Shah had Advani’s ashirwad (blessings). That is all the power that Modi has allowed Advani — giving ashirwad to and applauding Modi’s actions. One television show I was on after the appointment, described Shah as a “political mastermind” and “organisational genius”. This, I think, was stretching it a bit.
Modi himself has not credited Shah with the success in UP, and nor is he likely to. The prime minister is not the sort of man who shares credit. In this case, I think he is justified. It was a huge Modi wave that swept through North and West India. In UP, the party performed exceptionally and posted historic gains. But it also performed exceptionally and posted historic gains in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. In the first two states named, the BJP took every single seat. If Shah’s genius is to explain Modi’s success in UP, then we must look for local factors in the others also.
When we look at Amit Shah’s record in governance, these qualities of genius are not immediately visible.
If there is one blemish on Modi’s record as chief minister, it is Shah’s running of the home ministry. Even Modi’s most devoted fan will admit that things did not work out well here. I am not talking about the things that secularists usually complain about, which is the mismanagement of the riots (which happened before Shah took charge), the failure to properly investigate and prosecute those who did such damage to fellow Gujaratis. Or things like the persecution of honest police officers, who tried to stop the violence. I mean things like an anti-terror chief, who is himself in jail for murder. And the arrest and prosecution of several top-level officers for mischief under Shah’s nose. Those who are cruel will also point out that Shah could not even snoop on a young girl competently without getting caught.
So, while he may be good at some things, to think of him (or to believe Modi thinks of him) as a brilliant manager is not quite right. Shah is where he is for one reason alone: his loyalty to Modi.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is enthusiastic about Modi’s project of a new India and the direction of the government. The RSS’s brightest young star, Ram Madhav, an engineer by training and its most visible face, has joined the BJP.
Advani used to call the BJP “party with a difference”. One of the differences was that it was not a party of chamchas, like the Congress. Indira, Rajiv and Sonia all had chamchas, or sycophants, around them in posts of power and influence. These people only held ministries because of their proximity to the leader.
In the BJP, it was different. But perhaps, no longer. Modi was parachuted into the Gujarat chief minister’s post in 2001 because the party was divided. One faction was called Hajuriya, meaning those who do ‘ji huzoor’ all the time. It seems that the Hajuriyas have now taken over the party in Delhi.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (29)
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Amit Shah was the Home minister of Gujarat who implemented this policy which was formulated by the center.=GP65=
At last some truth. So here is admission he got them killed! About other States it's direct fight with Armed Naxals, North East Rebels, Militants. Not some innocent unarmed Kausar Bi wife of Soharbuddin. If killing people without trial is Indian State Policy formulated at Centre then the defense of Shah in the Court is very easy; put blame on Centre. Did he do that? No. His defense is he had nothing to do with anything. If Murder was India Policy under Manmohan Singh why are accused police people in the jail. Truth is all pretentions of Indians of the quoted-kind is now known and that is they support extra judicial killings. Why does it not surprise?
@Lahore wala you seem to have overestimated your trolling prowess.see... i can see your comment.now do me a favor....go to my post again and if you are endowed with some reading skills ,please do a good use of them and tell me where in the whole post have i even obliquely mentioned the name of our beloved neighbor ?
@antanu: "You dont have to put a question mark (?). BJP is indeed a party of sycophants." by retards
@lahore walla. Why is he a Pakistani hater or indian troll if he's justifying his country PM on indian based article may I ask?
@Lalit: Considering this is a pro India rag, this comment will not see the light of the day. Lalit, look in the mirror. You see what is staring back at you? That is called a Pakistani Hater/Indian troll.
While on the topic of sycophancy, Akar can you write on the topics of hypocrisy, tomfoolery, skulduggery, etc?? There are some other beautiful words in the Queen's language. You were bamboozling Pakistani readers with claims there is no Modi wave. After the Modi Tsunami you never admitted your foolery. Not a whimper how foolish you were. Just moved on to further Modi/ BJP baiting. I am wondering if I should get flabbergasted at your audacity or just feel titillated at your hypocrisy!
@ Akar You dont have to put a question mark (?). BJP is indeed a party of sycophants.
@Hobi Haripur wala - Ad hominem attack... Instead of refuting the facts put forward by Gp65, you choose to attack her....
I don't know why you people are behind BJP, Modi ... This is purely internal matter to BJP . We people of India itself not very much concern about it. From your comment (Pak) one thing is clear he is a right choice, since you are opposing him !!!!
Guyz author like bekar patel is just trying to grab ur attention by writing some crap..these so called experts can be ignored for this is only way for them to be in limelight.. Ignore them,Switch of the tv sets and after 4 years based on perfomance of current govt vote again..I don't even read what these Gandhi family sychophants write.
@Gp65:
What is wrong with Rahul baba's background? Sounds just like dhoti drama Gandhi's, doe sit not? Unless making salt and spinning a useless wheel counts as relevant job experience.
GP65 are you there? WE need one of your standard Shining India, Vibrant India, Rising India, Hail Lord Modi, Modi the Saint, comment....[Somebody said Modi is fasting! to show solidarity with his Muslim 'brothers'.] Ha!
Sohrabuddin Shaikh was not a saint...!! he had so many criminal cases pending against him before he was encountered - and it's a very common practice in many states, where the criminal elements are eliminated by encounter when their menace becomes unbearable, in Mumbai the underworld back bone was broken only with so many encounters, there used to be a time in Mumbai where the underworld was terrorising the business community with gun culture and many builders even got killed by gangsters when they did pay money to gangsters - but Mumbai law enforcing agencies took up the matter in a high level and eliminated many gangsters in fake encounter and infact just last year in Tamil Nadu the police eliminated three such criminals in fake encounter and the entire Tamil Nadu praised the police for doing such encounter - because public don't want to see such criminals escape using the loopholes in our judiciary system...!! hear is the link it says about that encounter and other encounter happened in Tamilnadu and I appricate such actions of police then only the criminal elements in society will have fear...!! http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/was-coimbatore-child-rapist-killed-in-fake-encounter-65180
@prashanth: And was his wife also a convicted criminal,or an innocent woman,who was killed because she was a witness
Aakar backs a party where Rahul Baba was automatic candidate for the top slot without ever having held a job in his life, ever passed any law in legislature, never haing held any executive position (as a CM or cabinet minister). When the Congress performs dismally the clamor goes on for Priyanka - who has never ever contested any election. The leader of the party is Soia Maino. Yet a party where both the PM and the party Presidents have all come p from the ranks are the one that is sycophantic.
Sure Aakar, whatever you say.
@ Pakistani readers, UP has more people than Pakistan - so ponder over the complexity a while before dismissing it as easily as Mr. Patel does. For a year, Mr. Patel argued non-stop that there was no Modi wave. Now he uses the Modi wave to argue something else. The BJP was a spent force in UP and plagued by incessant in-fighting and thus cannot be compared to states like Bihar (where it was in Govt till recently), Rajasthan (where it swept the recent elections), or any other state where it is already in Government on its own; Maharashtra and Bihar wins were also driven by strategic alliances. Amit Shah would never have been elevated to BJP President if the BJP had won only 40 seats in UP - it is the unprecedented victory in India's electorally most-crucial state that has caused the average BJP worker to repose faith in him, forcing the leadership to fall in line. So if there is a new trend in the BJP, it is this - of decision making being increasingly aligned with karyakarta and average worker sentiments instead of merely balancing expectations of a small coterie of Delhi-based politicians while alienating their own dedicated work force.
Nehru-Gandhi dynasty had tons and tons of Hazuriyas. Sonia's Hazuriyas include but not limited to Digvijay, Salman K., Rita Bahuguna, Manish Tewari, Kapil Siball, Shinde, ajay Makhhan, Ranjeet Surjiwala, Suleman Soz, Renuka Chaudhary and we can go on and on and on. These Hazuriyas were there for money and power. In,five years they fight with each lather and Congree will diappear from the face of earth. BJPid not going anywhere. They are in for Modi for 10 years and another 10 years for Amit. As far as Gujarati leaders, you don't speak about them because Gujaratis are born with that talent. At the time of Indepence there were 4 main leaders, Mahama Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, Mehmood Ali Jinnah and Nehru. Three were Gujaratis. Only one from UP or Kashmir.
@prashanth: Ok, so he was the boogie man to shame all boogie men. Does that give the police and Shah the right to kill him, his wife and an acquaintance of his . You should be very careful when you choose your words. Your comment carries with it the faint stench of fascist righteousness.
@D: Great punchline. One of the minor pleasures of daily life for some is to observe the Modi-Bhagats, good-natured otherwise, getting worked up at even mildest possible criticism of their deity. This is more pronounced in workaday life than on a moderated forum like this. Some are sensitive, some touchy. The Right is always the latter.
All political parties are full of sycophants! It is a fact of political and organizational life. Rethink your title.!
@S: Thanks, India has the right to choose its leader, laws and constitution just like people in other countries. @Author get used to now that BJP will rule india for atleast 15-20 yrs. Only parties who work for atleast human rights/secularism will win election now not pluralism.
Author: During this time, he was charged in a case where a man, Sohrabuddin Shaikh, was wrongly accused of terrorism and murdered.
This is where "secularists" messed up. Sohrabuddin Shaikh was once convicted and spent time in prison. Hiding the fact here will not help the cause of secularism.
When "secularists" choose victims they should be careful. I am all for human rights to every one, but consistently hiding the fact that Sohrabuddin Shaikh was a convicted felon is not going to help the cause.
So, Mr Akar Patel, you may also prepare for the day when the people of India will vote Shah to the PM's position.
While you are well within your rights to relieve shah of any credits. But the difference between UP and other states was the weak BJP organization in the state and the complexity of polity in terms of caste and religion with considerable allegiances to regional satraps. To have a strike rate of 90% and demolishing caste parties like BSP was no mean achievement.
Before the Bhakts get in and spoil the comments pages with nausea inducing, unintelligible balderdash.
From all of us who would rather refrain from commenting once the pages are so soiled.
Thanks for saying it like it is and like none other, as always! We love it how you get their goat!
India elected a prime minister accused of abetting industrial scale massacre. And now the President of the governing party is a thug with pending court cases for snooping and murder. Good going, India.
Pathetic article. Aakar, dont you have anything better to write?