The third tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi got off to a turbulent start. A series of unrelated events—paper leaks, a train accident and terror attacks— within weeks of his swearing-in thrust the government into crisis management mode. Additionally, the BJP's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, appears to have conveyed a message of “course correction” as the ruling party did not secure a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha elections.
The RSS message delivered publicly, often couched as advice to every swayamsevak, meant that it was heard within the parivar. It started with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressing the trainees in Nagpur, a day after the Modi government was sworn in. Bhagwat's insistence on peace in strife-torn Manipur, which has been burning for a year, was seen as call for action by the government.
He spoke of adherence to decorum during elections and using consensus to engage with the opposition. “A true sevak maintains dignity,” he said to the trainees. “He follows decorum while working. He does not have the arrogance to say, 'I did this work.'
Only that person can be called a true sevak.” It was interpreted by many as a shot at the swayamsevak who heads the government. Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar’s subsequent jibe that arrogance restricted the BJP to 240 seats further amplified it.
The RSS-inclined publication Organiser, which analysed the 2024 results, also highlighted weaknesses in the BJP’s messaging and strategy, particularly in not listening to feedback from the cadre and inducting tainted leaders into the fold.
As the controversy swirled in Delhi’s power corridors, several sangh commentators argued that Bhagwat’s message caused a stir because of its timing, but noted that he had expressed similar views earlier, too. “But what Indresh ji said, we are not sure of his motivation, but he retracted it later,” said a sangh insider.
この記事は THE WEEK India の July 07, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は THE WEEK India の July 07, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
