Congress Silence About Gujarat Issue

We are not at all surprised that despite the investigation report submitted to the Supreme Court holding Chief Minister Narendra Modi accountable in the Gujarat massacre of Muslims in 2002, the Congress has so far made no statement. We were also not surprised when Home Minister P. Chidambaram's use of the term 'Hindu terrorism' was loudly objected by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and he remained silent, whereas some Congress party men objected to linking terrorism with any religion. The entire Congress maintained silence on this objection.

Meanwhile, the media, having affiliation with the BJP and the Sangh Parivar (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and allies) had frequently been using the term 'Islamic terrorism' and 'jihadi terrorism.'

Major Scams and Corruption
We have now stopped thinking about the Congress attitude as in our considered opinion a large part of the Congress feel frightened to face the BJP or their outlook is the same. Imagine had this report indicted a Congress minister what hue and cry the BJP would have made. If you think that the Congress is silent because it is badly entangled and does not want the repeat of disturbance created by the BJP in the budget session, or the Congress is silent because of its involvement in the 2G Spectrum, the Adarsh Society, and other big scams, your assessment is almost true. However, this is not the real cause of its silence. In fact the party fears the BJP. Tell us as to where the Congress faced the BJP and if faced, what is the outcome? It was defeated by the BJP in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh, with exception to Rajasthan.

However, Rajasthan's success is not due to the efforts of the Congress party but due to the internal dispute among members of BJP Chief Minister Vijay Raje Scindia's party. As far as Gujarat is concerned, someone among the lieutenants of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi has advised them to keep silent about Modi. That adviser whosoever he may be has presented the logic that calling Modi the trader of death adversely benefited him, winning the election. Although this logic is bogus, if at all there is such an adviser, he is Modi's agent.

Point Against BJP
The real cause of defeat was the Congress party's allotment of tickets to those people who clandestinely supported the carnage in 2002. You must have noticed that the BJP getting a small point against the Congress makes a molehill out of molecule and the Congress by getting a serious point against the BJP reduces it to the size of atom, which even amazes the BJP. The Adarsh Society is one such example. The local issue of Maharashtra was hyped by the BJP across the country.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa's matter was bigger than the Adarsh Society, but the Congress party played with it like a rubber toy. Acting upon the counsel of adviser to keep silent on Gujarat may cost the Congress party dearly, and like in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it may never return to power easily.