Does Narendra Modi Follow the Gujarat Model of Corruption?

Two facts of Indian politics:

Fact 1. All politicians are corrupt.

Fact 2. If you think some of them are not corrupt, see Fact 1.

By Rakesh Raman

Like most other states in India, Gujarat is also a backward state. But when the current Prime Minister (PM) of India – Narendra Modi – was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he created a PR-driven hype around Gujarat to project it as a progressive state.

And ignorant media people started calling it a Gujarat model of development without knowing the disturbing socio-economic facts about Gujarat.

Now, when Modi has managed to become the PM of India, there is a surfeit of corruption cases in which Modi’s fellow BJP party leaders are alleged to be involved. So, the opposition party Congress has termed it a Gujarat model of corruption that Modi is following in India.

Among the BJP leaders and Modi’s friends who are facing serious corruption charges include Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rajasthan Chief Minsiter Vasundhara Raje, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

“BJP has plundered India over the past 20 months. From Rs. 45,000 crore coal scam in Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan to the Rs. 36,000 crore rice scam in Raman Singh-led Chhattisgarh, BJP has looted the country with both hands,” Congress says.

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Now, according to Congress, another scam has surfaced. This one comes from Modi’s home state, Gujarat. Congress alleges that the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel gifted 250 acres of land near the Gir Lion Sanctuary to the business partners of her daughter Anar Patel.

Congress cites a story on Friday in a leading Indian newspaper The Economic Times to say that Anar Patel’s business partners Dakshesh Shah and Amol Shripal Sheth – promoters of Wildwoods Resorts and Realties – were given land at an official rate of Rs. 15 per metre. They were further given another 172 acres of agricultural land, as well as approval to change land use from agricultural to non-agricultural.

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Congress also says that PM Modi is playing hand-in-glove with his Chief Ministers and has turned a blind eye to blatant acts of corruption. Land was given to Anar Patel during the Chief Ministership of Narendra Modi, according to Congress.

Although in his pre-election speeches Modi promised he will stop corruption by saying “Na Khaoonga, Na Khaane Doonga,” it was a mere Jumla (hyperbole), Congress alleges.

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“Shocking revelations in public domain make it abundantly clear that Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, allowed nepotism, conflict of interest and brazen plundering of public land to promote commercial and business interests of entities closely connected to the daughter of the then Revenue Minister and present Chief Minister of Gujarat, Anandi Ben Patel,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

As there’s no smoke without fire, in all probability the corruption charges are true. But Modi is silent and has not taken any action to stop the mounting corruption in the country.

But his formula to avoid dissent is simple. As Modi is finding it extremely difficult to face the increasing number of agitations against him, he prefers to spend most of his time away from India.

And the political unrest persists in India.

By Rakesh Raman, the managing editor of RMN Company

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Photo / Video courtesy: Congress