Against a mighty odd

 It’s an all out war in the current election campaign and every means is as fair like in love as in war. That’s what has been witnessed during the past several weeks in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election as the ruling party government at the Centre has gone all out to pursue and prosecute critics and opposition leaders with a great sense of urgency and that itself has raised suspicions. On the other hand, history sheeter or those allegedly involved in corruption or linked to it from among the ruling party and its political partners are untouched. There has been a systematic and persistent efforts through media leaks and half truths, to paint all opposition leaders as dubious. Corruption has taken on a different nature and no longer a simple case of ‘A’ taking money from ‘B’ to obtain some undue favours. Like the allegations made by the opposition, that the government paid a corporate honcho in terms of several thousand crore rupees as “advance” for a contract without bidding. In simple terms it wasn’t corruption but a government contract and whether the advance was to be re-routed to the decision maker demands a high level investigation. Central government and public institutions have also been used in the political game of witch hunt. The list of Constitutional and statutory institutions that bear the brunt of the ruling party’s destructive interference include – the Supreme Court, RBI, Election Commission, CBI, CIC, UGC etc. The deputy director of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Viral Acharya had called out the Modi government for impinging upon the RBI’s independence. Another instance of a Constitutional body that appears to have buckled under the government’s pressure, going by media reports is the Election Commission of India. At least two instances of flagrant partisanship have been displayed by the Election Commission: one was its decision to delay the announcement of Gujarat Assembly polls schedule in 2017, allegedly to allow the PM and his party to continue distributing largesse in the state; and two, the hurried and unseemly disqualification of AAP MLAs from Delhi on the office of profit charges which was quashed by the Supreme Court. On the issue of violation of Model Code of Conduct(MCC), against Modi for announcing the successful test-firing of an anti-satellite missile; the ECI chose to reject the charges. Even on the RTI, the government did away with the present five-year fixed term for information commissioners both at the Central Information Commission (CIC) and State Information Commissions (SICs). Even the Central Vigilance Commission, another statutory body, has been headed by a ruling party nominee- K.V. Chowdary since 2015. Many other official bodies ranging from the UGC to top officers in research and academic bodies including university appointees like vice chancellors, the ruling party government has played fast and loose, freely appointing its own supporters, and thereby tilting the balance in favour of their ideological positions. The Indian media, is perhaps playing the most dubious “friendly role” of the ruling establishment by ignoring crucial issues and instead questioning the opposition on every issue. The media is diverting from such issues and instead, trying to project the election as a referendum on Modi. With such a massive alliance of public institutions, media and resources, it will be interesting to note how the Indian voters decide.