The Bhartiya Janata Party will try to
envelope its defensive stand on the issue in an offensive garb to take on the
political storm.
Like it is doing, it will do all to justify
the 'humanitarian' nature of Sushma Swaraj's aid extended to Lalit Modi,
delinking it with any cases in India Lalit Modi is facing. And, with letter
from the Portugal hospital which said his presence was necessary during his wife's
surgery there, the BJP strategists will further reinforce their line of defence
(offence).
Irrespective of different factions in the
BJP and irrespective of the fact that Sushma Swaraj is seen as from the
anti-Narendra Modi Advani faction, the BJP cannot afford to look acting on
Sushma this time. It will put the party on back-foot and will give political
opponents further avenue to attack the party on the issue. She is among the
senior-most party leaders and ministers.
Removing or reshuffling Sushma Swaraj at
this stage, midst this row, would send out a message that the BJP was convinced
that Sushma did cross the 'propriety' line and committed an 'unethical' act and
the party was pressurised to the extent that it had to remove her or cut her to
the size.
While the RSS and the party have backed
Sushma Swaraj and party spokespersons are busy in defending her on airwaves and
in media, prime minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have
adopted a stoic silence.
That is possibly the best strategy - to shield
behind the time - so that the political opposition could taper off.
And everyone knows it, including the
political analysts and the politicians across the spectrum.
Everyone is trying to squeeze in the maximum
political mileage out of it - like happens with every issue in the Indian
politics of the day.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
