Modi’s last I-Day speech stayed his theme all year
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, August 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on tomorrow in his second tenure at the helm of the government is expected to be full of political punches. His last speech at the Red Fort had delivered twin messages which stayed his theme all year to gain full intensity in the last few weeks after the emergence of the Opposition alliance – Indian National Democratic and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
In his last speech from the Red Fort, Modi had set the narrative against nepotism and corruption. Even while Modi had been speaking of corruption on all the occasions to feed to his anti-graft image, the prime minister had equated nepotism with the practice of corrupt means.
Modi had sought to enlist the support of the people against nepotism, as he had argued that it bred corruption and affected democracy. “I do not want to discuss everything but would definitely want to focus on two issues. One is corruption and the other is nepotism,” Modi had said in his sharp attack on political nepotism.
He had further elaborated “it is truly a sad state of affairs that even after conviction in corruption cases in court of law or those who were jailed for such cases, some people stoop so low even to glorify them”. While he had not singled out the instances, his target was obvious as political commentators read the meaning as a number of regional politicians who remained active in politics even after being jailed in graft cases.
“On the other hand, I want to discuss about nepotism and when I talk about nepotism, people think, I am only talking about nepotism in politics, but the reality is that this malaise has spread into all institutions of the country, which adversely affects the talent and opportunities. I, therefore, appeal to the people of the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort to take a pledge under the tricolor to root out the menace the nepotism for purification of India’s politics and all intuitions of the country in the true spirit of Indian Constitution,” Modi had further stated.
Modi’s last year’s speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort would sound familiar as he had very often been linking nepotism (dynasty) and corruption, as he sharpened his attack on the Opposition which came under the banner of I.N.D.I.A. In his reply to the debate on no-confidence motion brought against his government in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition, Modi had reiterated that the proponents of the dynastic politics facing corruption charges had ganged up against him.
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