The Snooping Scandal, an expose which basically contained taped conversations between Gujarat’s notorious ex Minister for Home – Amit Shah and a suspended, disgraced and now-a-whistleblower IPS officer GL Singhal.
The conversation was about keeping tabs on the movements and whereabouts of a woman. The reason why it is serious, is, that it was being done at the behest of ‘saheb’ as Amit Shah referred to in the conversation. And it has been safely presumed that the ‘saheb’ is none other than Narendra Modi.
Being a journalist in Ahmedabad, I have had several opportunities to meet Amit Shah. Have met Singhal too on a couple of occasions and it was therefore easy to recognise their voice. I, therefore, have no doubts about the genuineness of the CD. But that’s not what I want to talk about today.
In days to follow, more stories flowed in. A reputed and a senior editor from Ahmedabad with ‘close’ connection to a Congress leader, utilised the position and the power, to reveal how “Modi was in a close relationship” with the woman who was under surveillance. Stories followed. About how Miss M was not only close to Modi but was “an extremely good friend” of Pradeep Sharma too. Stories on How Modi was obsessed about this girl and his possessiveness led to vindictiveness and that’s what led Gujarat Police to act against Pradeep Sharma in the corruption complaints levelled against him.
Miss M’s family denies that Modi did any wrong. Miss M is nowhere to be found for any clarification or an explanation.
More stories emerge. Congress laps it up as an opportunity to disgrace Modi. Last few weeks have been hard on Congress following Modi’s jam-packed rallies across the poll-bound states. Within their own camp, there is gloom with videos of Sheila Dikshit going viral on social media, urging people at her rally, to stay back to “atleast listen to Rahul Gandhi’.
This snooping scandal couldn’t have arrived at a better time.
This is perhaps what Congress was desperately praying for. A god sent opportunity to counter Modi’s rise. A ready-made scoop which can be raised as an assault on Modi. So the Party not only parades its top-most leaders – Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram to question Modi on the snooping remarks, but also gets their women leaders to hold pressers to keep the momentum going. Another leader from Gujarat, trying desperately to impress the bosses, comes up with a scoop in form of RTI response on how Miss M’s family has benefited from the Modi government and jumps to conclusion that because Modi government gave a huge contract to the Soni family, there’s no doubt that Modi was in a close relationship with Miss M.
A day after, Pradeep Sharma, the IAS officer, gives interviews to all channels saying that he was persecuted by the Modi government because Modi feared he had some doctored CD. He goes and files an affidavit in the Supreme Court to add some credibility to his claims and increase the threat factor for Modi.
Meanwhile, BJP turns out utterly lazy in defending its Prime Ministerial candidate. Their fire—fighting is so lame that no one is ready to buy their story that it was the father who requested the government ‘to keep an eye’ on his own daughter. And what is even more damning is asking the masses to believe that Modi is foolish enough to accept such a frivolous request.
If nothing, BJP was caught off-guard. Coming up with father’s letter before media and getting it hand delivered to National Commission for Women’s office in Delhi only points out their culpability, if not their compliancy.
And the best part about this entire scandal is how the top-most leaders fighting it out for 2014 – NaMo and RaGa, are tight lipped about it. Modi’s silence can be understood. But I wonder what is stopping Rahul Gandhi, or for that matter, his mother – Sonia Gandhi, from raking this issue.
Instead the mother-son duo has left it on the other ‘lesser mortals’ within their party to continue their tirade against Modi. And as far as Modi is concerned, knowing him, till it comes from Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, he will not bother himself with any explanation, clarification or even a mention about this.
But Modi would be mistaken if he thinks that this snooping saga will have no effect on his PM Campaigning. For a person, who has marketed himself, as someone who has no family, and is devoted to working for the nation 24x7; these allegations of being ‘close to a young woman’, ‘sending her silly smses’, ‘spending time with her clandestinely’, ‘using the state machinery to follow a woman who betrayed him’ is bound to set tongues wagging, women thinking and the young electorate doubting his credentials as a clean man.
No wonder, that though late, the Gujarat Government ordered an inquiry into the scandal. Whether it will serve any purpose to find the truth behind this is secondary, for the time being, the BJP has atleast managed to hush the decibel levels of Congress.
First published on: http://namovsraga.com/blog/the-snooping-scandal-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-congress
