By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 02 Feb 2015: The Delhi Assembly election has become a battle for prestige for the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since assuming the most powerful office of the country in May 2014 after the massive victory in the Lok Sabha election, Modi and party president Amit Shah have ensured victory for the party in all four major assembly polls in as many states. But Delhi’s has become the toughest poll battle for them. Delhi voters, being the first-hand witness to poor delivery of the Modi government on his May election promises, are giving the saffron camp sleepless nights. What have added to the misery of the ruling party are the continuous hate speeches by saffron fringe groups, Ghar Wapsi campaign targeting religious minorities and hints to change basic structure of the Constitution.
Adv. ND Pancholi
“It is true that they fought the central elections (in May 2014) on the issue of development, but no actual work of development was been in the last eight months. In place of development, they are raising issues which have nothing to do with development. Smart cities, bullet trains etc. are hardly going to benefit common people,” says Adv. ND Pancholi while talking to IndiaTomorrow.net.
“After hard struggle some slow progress was made towards fulfilling the constitutional goals of Directive Principles. Employment guarantee scheme was launched in Maharashtra. Then MNREGA was introduced…Now the new government is cutting on those plans. They have also changed Land Acquisition Act. I am unable to understand it. Whatever they are doing have nothing to do with development. Meanwhile, they have adopted diversionary tactics through various campaigns like Ghar Wapsi and Hindu Rashtra,” he said.
“They are trying hard to capture Delhi also. The image they had created in the heart of people is diminishing. Only in the name of one person Modi they want people to vote for them. You have seen the real face of Modi – who talks about Gandhi and wears a suit worth Rs 10 lakh. One who wears Rs 10 lakh suit, what will he think about common people? People forget things. It is duty of the people who are not in power politics and party politics to raise voice against such issues,” said Adv. Pancholi, General Secretary of Citizens For Democracy.
Dr Prem Singh
However, eminent social activist and professor of Hindi literature Dr. Prem Singh, does not accept that Narendra Modi won the General elections on development plank. It was communal polarization, he says, that sailed Modi through.
“First, we do not accept Modi came to power on the issues of development. His journey from Gujarat to Delhi and in this Delhi election also, internally as well as on social media strong campaign was launched for communal polarization. Only those people talk about his development who want to hide the true character of Modi. They want to say we are supporter of Vikaspurush Modi not communalism. Only they say that PM should stop communal elements of RSS. Is Modi any different from them?” says Dr. Prem Singh.
“To say that he came to power promising development but communal forces are getting emboldened is not true. He came to power through communal polarisation. It must be noted that he made the country’s largest minority irrelevant in election politics for the first time… Basically, the election was fought on communal polarisation which had a nexus with corporate capitalist forces – it was victory of communal and corporate capitalist forces.”
Dr Singh says Modi too is doing development work as Congress was doing – but that development work is only for corporate houses.
“His development model is the same that was being executed by the UPA govt – the one which runs on the dictates of IMF, World Bank, WTO and MNCs. The 90% of the decisions of this govt. are to benefit corporate houses, then how can they say he is not doing development work?”
“Yes, he indeed befooled the poor and labourers by saying that I will make development for you also. That is not seen anywhere. The development is not seen for labours, adivasis, farmers, unemployed youths – which was being done at small level during the Congress regime after hard struggle. Land acquisition act, RTI, food security act, MNREGA – these were done under pressure. But under the regime of Modi, that has stopped. The development he is talking about is for corporate, and he is doing it excellently,” says Dr Singh.
“On the scenario of Delhi Assembly elections, he says: “People say if Kejriwal’s party does not win then BJP will win there. When BJP is already in power at the centre with full majority then what is the use of such talk. People should introspect themselves, what went wrong and what to do. If real secular forces are voted and strengthened then secularism will be strengthened. Victory of AAP will not help,” he says.
Mohammad Salim Engineer
Meanwhile, an influential Muslim organization says that Delhi voters should take this election very seriously, cast vote wisely and send a strong message against divisive poltics.
“The Delhi Assembly election is very important because there is a government at the centre which does not respect constitution and democratic values and slowly moving towards demolishing or weakening the democratic and secular structure of the country. We think that people of Delhi should ponder over it and use their vote in such a way that secular votes are not divided. We think this election should send a message across the country that, dictatorship, fascism or majoritarian behaviours, which are against the ethos of the constitution, will not find any place in this country,” said Mohammad Salim Engineer, National Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
“This election is a good opportunity to send a message to the forces of divisive politics. We want to tell all people of Delhi – of all castes, class and creed – to use their vote wisely and in such a way that those who respect constitution, can protect democratic values, stop divisive politics and provide a clean, corruption free government and peaceful atmosphere of communal harmony in the national capital of the country are elected. Such forces should be supported strongly so that our country is kept from going on the wrong path,” he said.
