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May

FIR against folk singer: Is BJP-RSS Ecosystem Suffering from  “insecurity”? 

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The suspension of Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif's X account in India and the lodging of FIRS on popular critics like folk singer Neha Singh Rathore, Madri Kakoti, and Dr. Medusa in Uttar Pradesh are raising many questions in social media groups and civil society circles. Some say that it is a sign of the “deep-seated insecurity” of the BJP-RSS ecosystem. 

Since my last column was uploaded on April 23, a day after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam which resulted in the killing of the 26 innocent lives, this column is the first opportunity for me to not only share my view on the tragedy but also to raise some valid questions which may help you to understand the pros and cons of the prevailing situation.

Taking a cool and resolved look at the terrorist attack, the Modi government says rather claims that it is the handiwork of a yet not so well-known terrorist, known as The Resistance Front, which had two or three from across the border and the other two or three from Kashmir or Jammu. The government has taken quick action by bulldozing the houses of those who were from our country without even conclusively establishing whether they were the real perpetrators or not.

Islamabad has not owned the responsibility, and it has never done so in the past, denying its role in any of the earlier terrorist acts, but on the contrary, it has suggested the Pahalgam attack was enacted by some local groups. Though the veracity of Pakistan’s suggestion is highly doubtful but then it is part of diplomacy where principles are only for pronouncement and surely not for practice. Truth, lies, half-truths, and falsehoods are the tools of international diplomacy.

Column at a Glance
The suspension of Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif's X account and the filing of FIRS against critics like folk singer Neha Singh Rathore and activist Madri Kakoti in Uttar Pradesh have sparked concerns about the BJP-RSS ecosystem's insecurity. Following the tragic Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26, the Modi government has taken swift action, including closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari and suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistanis.
Wednesday Wisdom
By Satish Misra
While Modi assured punishment for the attackers, his focus on upcoming elections over visiting victims raised eyebrows. The government's measures against Pakistani media and critics are seen as counterproductive, potentially eroding its credibility. The lack of transparency regarding the Pulwama attack and the use of state power to silence dissent suggest a troubling governance model that may ultimately undermine public confidence in Modi's leadership.

Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who rushed back midway from his state visit to Saudi Arabia, addressed a public rally in Bihar where assembly elections are slated to be held in November-December this year, where he assured the country from a public platform that the terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination.

His going to Bihar and not visiting some of the injured victims in Srinagar is bound to create doubts with some concerned citizens asking what was more important coming elections or consoling the injured? 

Following the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, the Central government announced several diplomatic measures, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 40 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides.

In my understanding, there are many creative ways to punish Pakistan, and war should be the last option, which, in the environment of rising Jingoism, RSS-BJP followers appear to be asking for.

In the age of information and social media activism, the government’s move to get Pak Defence Minister’s account suspended, in my view, is not the right way as it may prove to be counter-productive.  The account was suspended in the wake of disinformation and fake news being spread through Asif's official handle and in the wake of Asif's confession on camera that Pakistan has been backing terror groups against India at the behest of the UK and the US.

X accounts of some Pakistani journalists learnt to be working for the Pakistan ISI have been similarly suspended.

Earlier, India announced a ban on 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.

Collectively, these channels have a massive following of over 63 million subscribers.

Last week, the Pakistani Defence Minister made a huge admission by stating that Pakistan has been funding and backing terror groups in a viral video clip.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police registered an FIR against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore under multiple charges including “endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India” and shortly after, another FIR has been registered by the UP police against activist and professor Madri Kakoti, better known as Dr. Medusa, under the same charges.

The problem is that there are many loose ends in the entire narrative that India and Pakistan have built around the tragic terrorist attack, giving enough ground for speculations and doubts. The situation becomes particularly acute when the Modi government has yet to give a clear picture of the Pulwama terrorist attack. To date, it has not been explained how an explosive-laden vehicle could intrude into the well-protected route of the paramilitary convoy.

It would have been far better to take people into confidence by disclosing facts, but then the ways of the Modi government often puzzle me, as it has a different model of governance which seeks to hide more than reveal. The fate of the Right of Information Act is one classic example of the new model.         

Today, coercion, the use of state might, and silencing criticism by using state agencies are outdated tools of governance, as they only erode the ruling establishment’s credibility. Such actions amplify the insecurities of the government in power.

I am amazed that Prime Minister Modi, with his ears to the ground, has been so creative till now, has been reading the pulse of the people avoided attending an all-party meeting. Such actions, in my opinion, have eroded the people’s confidence in his government.

I would not be surprised that Pahalgam may not prove to be his Waterloo. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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