PM's failed trip to Ferozepur: Should elections guide our entire politics?

The political dividend from the Prime Minister's failed trip to Ferozepur has almost eclipsed all the impact he might have made in his recent poll campaigns during the last few months. He and his campaign managers must be elated over the outcome of the rally, which he could not even address. The impact of not addressing the public meeting has far exceeded the benefits of an actual meeting.

Now, it is beyond doubt that his proposed poll-bonanza Punjab would hardly have matched the noise his return from the rally without addressing it has created. The farmers who have returned after spending an entire year on the borders of Delhi are still bitter about the attitude of the Modi government towards them and are in no mood to accept any bonanza. So, the opportunity of evading a public gathering came as a blessing in disguise. However, we must appreciate the extraordinary skill of the Prime Minister in turning an incident of no consequence into a hyped event.

The Prime Minister's single sentence worked well beyond expectations. His cleverly crafted words turned out to be extremely acidic to the Opposition and all-too exciting for his own party-men. Before leaving the Bhatinda airport after his return from his failed trip, Modi virtually dropped a bombshell by saying, "Say thanks to your Chief Minister that I could return alive till Bhatinda airport." The ANI, a prominent news agency known for its proximity to the ruling establishment, flashed it by the time the Prime Minister had reached Delhi. The agency concealed the name of the official and only a probe could unearth his name.

No sooner was the statement made public than it became viral. The TV channels that were desperate till the last moment to get a headline from the Ferozepur rally straight away picked up the sensational outburst from the Prime Minister. It is really surprising to find that the entire BJP leadership jumped into the battle of words without losing a minute as if they were waiting for a signal. A well-choreographed performance began to unfold with the theme that a huge security lapse occurred while the prime minister was on his way to the National Martyr's Memorial at Husainiwala and he had to return to the airport as the road was blocked by agitators. The accusers held Congress responsible for it and accused it of conniving with the Khalistan movement to conspire against the life of the PM. Home Minister Amit Shah alleged, "repeated rejection by the people has taken them to the path of insanity." The BJP video appearing on social media asked who was behind the conspiracy—the Khalistan. And, who had connived with them-the Congress? The party started a well-managed campaign with the participation of every top brass member of the party and almost all mainstream TV channels and online news platforms. Soon, BJP leaders were found organising Yagna and Havan for the well-being of the Prime Minister.

However, the chronology of events and the ground reports hardly support the idea that the lapses had any conspiracy angle. According to the schedule, the Prime Minister was to address a rally at Ferozepur on January 5. When he reached Bhatinda airport to be flown to Ferozepur in a helicopter, heavy rain greeted him, and he remained stuck at the airport for some time. He ultimately decided to leave for Husainiwala by car. When he was about to complete his 140-kilometer long journey, a group of farmers was spotted blocking the road ahead. The Prime Minister's convoy remained stuck for 15 to 20 minutes at a flyover while the State police were trying to clear the road. The PM decided to return to the airport. Here, he lashes out at the Punjab chief minister. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi says that they had sanitised the PM's earlier route with considerable difficulty as farmers are angry over the non-implementation of the assurances by the PM. He explains that last-minute changes in the program and PM's decision to go by road made things difficult. The farmers who had blocked the path of the Prime Minister had no idea of the PM's unscheduled movement. They were protesting according to their locally scheduled program and refused to believe the police that the PM was going on this road by car. While negotiations between the police and the farmers were on, the PM decided to go back.

The story is very simple and hardly smells of malice. It is also well known that the protocol for the Prime Minister's security is well defined and the SPG is solely responsible for it. The SPG takes all the decisions, and the Intelligence Bureau takes care of all the intelligence inputs. The local police have to act on the commands of SPG. The question is who made the decision to go on a road trip. Had the State police approved the plan?

Most people are missing the point that farmers are still angry and they are regularly agitated in every part of Punjab. This has almost become a routine. Despite this, the chief minister had made them agree not to disrupt the PM's program. However, they allowed it with the condition that they would oppose mobilization for the rally by the local BJP leaders. That is what was going on the road the PM convoy was using to reach Husainiwala.

Is it right for the Prime Minister and his government to accuse Congress, the main opposition party in the country, of conspiring to kill the Prime Minister of the country? His assertion that his life was in danger in Punjab has many ramifications. It tarnishes the image of the state among the people living in other parts of the country. It slams farmers as terrorism-inspired. The story will negatively impact our international standing and could be interpreted as an instance of the collapse of law and order in India. It will lower the credibility of security agencies as well.

Should only elections guide our politics?

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)