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21 August 2024 at 3:50:16 pm

Optics First

On the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years in executive office, Opposition leader and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi offered his own political counter-programme: another impromptu sit-in, another confrontation with the police and another opportunity for the cameras. It was difficult not to see it as an attempt to steal some of Modi’s thunder. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and accused the Election Commission of bias. The ECI and...

Optics First

On the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 25 years in executive office, Opposition leader and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi offered his own political counter-programme: another impromptu sit-in, another confrontation with the police and another opportunity for the cameras. It was difficult not to see it as an attempt to steal some of Modi’s thunder. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and accused the Election Commission of bias. The ECI and the government have rejected those allegations. The issue itself is serious and deserves scrutiny. But the increasingly elaborate choreography surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s protests raises a more pointed question: is the objective to persuade the electorate, pressure an institution or simply manufacture an image of permanent confrontation? The latest episode was hardly an isolated improvisation. In July, Rahul and Congress leaders turned up unexpectedly near the Prime Minister’s residence following student protests and demanded an FIR. A month later came another dramatic intervention at a police station over a student’s alleged pellet injury. Now comes the Akashvani Bhawan episode in form of a surprise dash on Gandhi’s part followed by an hours-long sit-in and eventual detention. There is nothing inherently undemocratic about street protest. But there is a distinction between making an issue impossible to ignore and making oneself impossible to ignore. Even Rahul’s INDIA bloc partners appear to have noticed that distinction. Reports suggest some allies were unhappy that what began as a joint Opposition protest increasingly came to resemble a Rahul Gandhi-led exercise, with questions also raised over the strategy and the demand to meet the Election Commission. That is a revealing fault line. A political movement requires a coherent argument, institutional pressure and, above all, a credible proposition about what should happen next. Rahul Gandhi may be trying to demonstrate that he is no longer merely the politician who speaks from the podium or posts on social media. He wants to be seen confronting power physically and visibly. That may energise his supporters. But political theatre has diminishing returns when the performance begins to overshadow the purpose. Rahul Gandhi once seemed determined to establish himself as an alternative to Narendra Modi through speeches, parliamentary interventions and the politics of the road. He now appears equally invested in establishing himself as the politician willing to physically confront the state. But politics is not a contest for the most arrestable photograph. If the allegation is “vote theft”, the burden is to establish the theft.The danger for Rahul Gandhi is that the spectacle eventually becomes bigger than the cause. If the argument is that Indian democracy is being hollowed out, the Opposition needs an argument capable of surviving after the cameras leave. Because politics cannot forever be optics first.

Knives out in legislature

Writer: Abhijit Mulye
Abhijit Mulye
Mar 20, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Disha Salian

Mumbai: Death of celebrity manager Disha Salian in 2020 once again rocked the Maharashtra legislature on Thursday. While cabinet ministers Nitesh Rane and Shambhuraj Desai demanded that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray be arrested in the case, BJP MLA Amit Satam in the assembly and another BJP member Chitra Wagh in the council demanded that the report of SIT to probe Salian’s death be made public.


Incidentally, amidst repeated disruptions in both the houses, some members from the treasury benches were seen speaking in favour of Aditya Thackeray, while Shiv Sena (UBT) members like Adv Anil Parab were seen supporting the BJP members’ demand that the report of the SIT probe be made public. In addition, there were allegations and counter allegations and personal accusations among members from the treasury and opposition benches which led to heated debate on occasions.


The opposition termed the attempts from the treasury benches to link Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray’s name in the case, as a ‘conspiracy’.


“I think this matter has gone to the court. We have no idea what he (Disha’s father) has said, but Aaditya Thackeray is a mature leader, a young leader. The Bharatiya Janata Party is conspiring to defame him by putting pressure on him. We don’t need to answer to this conspiracy. The court will answer,” Ambadas Danve said.


Earlier in the day, when the house gathered for the business, Minister of State for Home appraised the assembly of the status in this case. “SIT has been formed to probe in the case. Their report has not been received as yet. However, the government shall act according to directives from the court,” the minister told the house.


Another BJP minister Nitesh Rane, however, said that since Satish Salian has levelled allegations against an MVA minister, that leader be treated like a common person and that everybody should be treated equally before the law. Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai too supported the demand. “Since the allegations are grave, the person in question should be immediately arrested and the case be investigated,” he said.


Later, while speaking to media in the legislature premises, Rane asked Uddhav Thackeray to come clean on the issue. “If they say that we are politicizing the issue, Uddhav Thackeray should also tell the people why he had called, not just once but twice, to the then union minister Narayan Rane urging him to save his son?” Rane said.


He also accused the opposition of shying away from coming clean on the issue. “If they feel that we are not telling the truth, they should say so in the house. But they are shying away from doing so. Bhaskar Jadhav, who is always aggressive, was nowhere to be seen when this issue came up in the house. Sunil Prabhu too escaped the house under the pretext of a phone call. I challenge them to say that whatever I said on the issue is wrong,” Rane said.


He also said that Aditya Thackeray should resign on moral grounds till his name is cleared in the case.


BJP MLA Amit Satam demanded that the details of the SIT probe be made public so that the people would know if the probe is headed in right direction.


Interestingly, while the ruling parties were targeting the opposition in the case, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar surprised all with his unexpected support to Thackerays. “I do not have any evidences in the case. But if her father has made any fresh allegations that needs to be investigated thoroughly. The assembly can discuss the issue at length tomorrow. In the meanwhile, members like Rane, who seem to have some evidences in the case should hand them over to the investigating agencies and help the probe,” he told the house.


Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad and Sheetal Mhatre too toed the line and demanded that more and more evidences should come forth.


Similarly, when members of treasury benches were pushing for revealing the details of the probe till date to the public, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab supported the demand. “Doing that shall conclusively prove the innocence of Aditya Thackeray,” he said.

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