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ONLY one inference is possible: Mani Shankar Aiyar is an agent provocateur, if not an outright BJP mole in the Congress. As in the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign, Aiyar has made himself felt in the 2017 Gujarat campaign, with his disagreeable “neech” remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Singlehandedly, he has aided and abetted the BJP strategy of making the 2017 poll as a vote all about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The skillful demagogue that he is, the Prime Minister has seized on the Aiyar remark, giving it a casteist twist, projecting himself as a messiah of the poor and the downtrodden. For good measure, the Prime Minister has pointedly characterised the Congressman’s observation as part of the “Mughal” mindset. On Friday, he finessed the Mani Shankar Aiyar remark further to calumniate him as a Pakistani “supari” man. All, very loaded code words. The so-called national media has gleefully megaphoned these not-so subtle messages.
With an admirable alacrity, the Congress leadership has suspended the offending Mr Aiyar from the party in real time. The Congress cyber-warriors are battling in the social media space to limit the damage. Still, the suspension cannot erase the years of indulgence and patronage the Congress leadership has extended to this family sycophant. For the Gandhi family, Mr Aiyar has been a useful shield of defence, especially against internal critics. He can be suspended, but he cannot be so easily disowned. In many ways, he reflects the Congressmen’s private views and prejudices. This family loyalist has singlehandedly scuttled the party’s strategy of focusing on the BJP’s poor track records of governance and economic management.
Even more unfortunate than Mani Shankar Aiyar’s acerbic comment is the low level of discourse inflicted on the Gujarat electorate. The ruling party has adroitly avoided any discussion on the “Gujarat model of development”; any critique of the “model” is dubbed as an insult to Gujarat and the six crore Gujaratis. The invocation of parochial sentimentality by the Prime Minister of the day cannot be seen as the strengthening of our federal bonds and cultural unity. Aiyar deserves condemnation as does this slide into unprecedented coarseness. All, very unfair to Gujarat.