BJP leader Subramanian Swamy believes: Mole close to top Congress leader working to topple Gujarat govt

By Our Representative
Is stage being prepared for the ouster of the Anandiben Patel government in Gujarat? It would seem so, if two recent tweets, by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, where he seeks to identify a scheming mole in touch with a top Congress leader, are any indication. Swamy who has lately gone very close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one reason why whatever he says about powerdom acquires significance. He does not, however, identify this person.
The first one, dated February 2, seeks an answer to a question if there is a scheming mole (Swamy calls him “sakuni”) close to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political adviser, Ahmed Patel, seeking to tackle her government. The second one, on February 3, refers to a report appearing in a national daily, saying the planted story was part of the effort to topple her government.
Swamy’s tweets acquire significance against the backdrop of a meeting between a senior minister in the Anandiben Patel government, Vijay Rupani – considered her strong political rival ever since he was inducted in the Cabinet in November 2014 – meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 3.
Claim top political circles in Gujarat, it is by now a “foregone conclusion” that Anandiben Patel would be given a safe entry when she turns 75 in November 2016. It is well known that Modi has been using the 75 the cut-off age for keeping senior leaders out of the top BJP leadership and the Cabinet.
While the final decision to replace Anandiben Patel will rest with Modi, already, reports say, Modi is “unhappy” with the rumours taking rounds that her daughter Anar and Shwetank (Sanjay) are cropping up as parallel power centres who “interfere in the governance and influence decision making.”

Vijay Rupani with Narendra Modi in Delhi on February 3

The rumours have gone strong, particularly after intensive email and social media campaign by Ahmedabad-based political activist Roshan Shah on how Anandiben Patel uses her influence to help the two extend their business and NGO activities in Gujarat.
While Shwetank a businessman and owns a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)-listed company, into “construction, infrastructure development and management”, Anar is a social entrepreneur running several trusts for the “promotion” of handicrafts, artisans and alleviation of the plight of slum children.
Sources in the chief minister’s office (CMO) are quoted by well-informed informed circles in Gujarat as saying that “that whenever any file comes in, a handwritten message in pencil comes out saying contact Anar or Shwetank.” It quite another thing that, officially, Gujarat government officials deny this.
Sources are quoted as saying that the public perception of the two interfering in Gujarat governance has lately begun to harm the Gujarat government image. Modi reportedly conveyed to Anandiben Patel about this in Delhi on January 25, the day Amit Shah was elected as all-India president of the BJP.
Meanwhile, guesswork is on, on twitter among followers of Subramanian Swamy, as to who the mole or “shakuni” – an extremely intelligent but devious man, often credited as the mastermind behind the Mahabharata war – could be.
Speculations range from Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Gujarat government insiders, however, say, he could be a key man, known to be a Modi confidante, in the CMO.

Comments

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat." In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Why iconic Urdu book stall, publishing house Maktaba Jamia died an 'unnatural' death

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed* We have all grown through the fragrant flavours and flairs of our childhood, one of them being our childhood mother-tongue historic magazines like, “Thakurmar Jhuli” (Bengali), “Khilauna”, Payam-e-Taleem" (Urdu), “Hans” (Marathi), “Parag” (Hindi), “Chitralekha” (Gujarati), “Chandamama” (Telugu), etc. I “drank” Urdu while suckling his mother and learnt the language not from any madrasa, school or college but from these publications only — my treasure trove!

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi* The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the 2050 net zero commitments , a new study released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman* It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Why Bangladesh is achieving 'new heights' amidst economic collapse of Pakistan

By Sufian Siddique* Pakistan's economy is on the brink of bankruptcy like Sri Lanka's. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below $3 billion. They have asked the IMF for a 'bailout loan' a long time ago, but the IMF is trying to impose strict conditions that Pakistan's current ruling coalition has no capacity to meet. Even China and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's long-standing loyal friends, are now reluctant to shoulder Pakistan's burden.

Search This Blog