The Bhartiya Janata Party is
weathering political storm over Sushma Swaraj's 'humanitarian' aid to Lalit
Modi to let him have the travel documents issued.
Even if this 'humanitarian' aid
is ethically unviable and makes Sushma Swaraj's position as the External
Affairs Minister of India untenable, it is 'politically viable' within the
political circumstances of the day - where every outfit is engaged in earning
political mileage out of every twist and turn - irrespective of the ethical
considerations involved.
So, what is 'humanitarian' for
Sushma, the RSS, the BJP and some other parties supporting him, is unethical
and illegal for others.
And this 'political viability'
has saved the day for Sushma as of now, from the factions within the party, and
from the political pressure outside.
But a development today may prove
a bottleneck for her, a dilemma where the BJP needs to find a solution - an
approach to defend two senior leaders - one a senior-most minister and another
a chief-minister.
And it will be a political
display between 'political viability' and 'ethical propriety'.
Last evening's presser held by
Lalit Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, to defend Lalit Modi and to clarify his
position after the expose of Sushma's aid to him, turned political and could
not serve the purpose for which it was held. His lawyer openly blamed the
United Progressive Alliance's government for implicating and 'hounding' Lalit
Modi. His lawyer blamed three senior UPA ministers. His lawyer blamed the UPA
government to withdraw Modi's security even if he was facing threats from the
underworld.
And in a bunch of documents sent
after that presser, in support, was a document, that in place of easing the
life for the BJP strategists and Sushma Swaraj, is explosive enough to make
their lives a political quagmire.
The document, with no signatures,
but mailed by Lalit Modi's public relations firm, shows Vasundhara Raje Scindia
as the witness for Lalit Modi's immigration application form. That was in
August 2011 when Vasundhara was leader of opposition in Rajasthan. Document's
veracity is in question, but August 2011 comes months later after as Lalit
Modi's passport was revoked in October 2010 after he fled (left) India in July
2010. Vasundhara Raje is Rajasthan's chief-minister now.
Vasundhara has said she is not
aware of the 'document in question. Sushma has denied any wrongdoing while
extending her humanitarian help.
The BJP had accepted what Sushma
said, whatever be the reasons. It did so even today, in the presser held by
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The controversy surrounding
the document naming Vasundhara cropped up after it and the BJP is yet to
response on it.
Both are among the senior-most
and most high-profile BJP leaders. Now, that the party is strongly 'behind Sushma
Swaraj, it has to do the same with Vasundhara Raje Scindia to sustain the
'political viability' in the case.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
