Will Modi's bullseye on corruption hit BJP black sheep as much as the Opposition?

New Delhi: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit the bullseye on corruption in his Independence Day address, he predictably raised fears among the Opposition leaders.

They sense that the current drive by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would quadruple to fix some of them in the run-up to the next round of assembly elections in the next two years as well as the Lok Sabha polls of 2024.

However, by setting up a benchmark and seeking public endorsement for action against the sleaze in high places, Modi would have also put on notice some suspected black sheep among his party members.

Every time, the CBI or the ED have unearthed what might be construed as evidence of wrongdoing by a leader of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Trinamool Congress, or the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Opposition has hit back with a standard reaction.

"How come only the Opposition leaders are targeted? What about the ruling party leaders and their kith and kin?"

Modi considers his record of eight years in office as a scam-free era during which his government has come out with policies and initiatives that are transparent and beyond judicial reproach.

Some decisions like the urgent purchase of the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft even went through scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which gave a clean chit. This punctured Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's smear campaign against the PM. As a result of which the Lok Sabha polls of 2019 ended up endorsing the public perception of Modi's image as a leader who is "incorruptible."

Nevertheless, the Opposition has relentlessly accused that though Modi may appear to be "corruption-free," he has promoted his corporate friends or "dostivaad."  Modi has chosen not to respond to such insinuation, leaving the field open for any interpretation.

In the years he has been in office, Modi has, however, never minced words about his worst fears. Each time he has inducted new ministers, Modi has taken time off to tutor them on "dos and don'ts" to prevent the creation of any situation that would lead to a charge being levied against their conduct, which would be "unpardonable."

But when it comes to the state governments under the BJP rule, Modi knows he cannot micro-manage. Therefore, it is left to the chief ministers of those states to mount vigil. But some of them have had a tough time restraining some suspected black sheep among their colleagues.

In Karnataka, the downward spiral of the image of the government under strongman B S Yediyurappa as chief minister forced the BJP to opt for Basavaraj Bommai as his successor.

Even this change has not stemmed internal dissensions and complaints of irregularities. There is even speculation of yet another change in the leadership before the 2023 assembly polls.

In Uttar Pradesh, CM Adityanath Yogi has been keeping his ministers virtually on leash because of the fear of graft charges soiling his carefully groomed image of being a tough administrator. So much so, Home Minister Amit Shah has had to step in to douse the deep resentment among some ministers who find Yogi's stranglehold a bit too much.

In Goa and Uttarakhand, the BJP chief ministers are under clear instructions to prevent any scam and go for course correction before things hit the ceiling.

That brings us to the question of whether Modi would allow himself to be seen as a lenient leader when it comes to his party men. If they face grave charges of corruption or the Central agencies stumble upon strong evidence, they could be shown the door or may even land behind the bars.

Many BJP leaders know that the PM would certainly be unsparing of such leaders. Any strong action against them would after all serve Modi's interest and enhance his image by showing that he won't be partial, BJP insiders say.

That also means that Modi's assertions in his Independence Day address indicate he won't buckle under pressure if the probes by the CBI or the ED reach a logical conclusion against his political opponents including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Mamata Banerjee.

But where Modi does find difficulty is in showing that the BJP does not tolerate "parivarvad." 

That is why Congress dubbed the PM’s criticism of nepotism and dynasty as remarks against his ministers. “Dynasty has now become the BJP’s internal problem,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said. “I don’t know if a minister’s son has scored a century at Lords (cricket ground) but he plays a big role in Indian cricket. Another minister’s son has not cleared foreign service but heads a think tank on foreign policy. Is Modi’s attack against his ministers and their children? It is probably an attack on the home minister, the external affairs minister and the civil aviation minister.”

However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refused to comment on the PM’s ‘nepotism’ remarks, knowing that any response would only invite more rebuke when the future of his party is in the hands of the Sonia Gandhi family, no matter what anyone says.

Left to himself, Modi would like to believe that he has set the agenda for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 by naming the two big challenges- corruption and 'parivarvad' (nepotism). 

By appealing to the citizens for their support in the fight against corruption, Modi hopes to make it difficult for those among the Opposition leaders who have been brazen about the sleaze in their backyard and backed those accused of corruption. "Those who looted India in the past are paying for their sins now. We are confiscating their ill-gotten gain. In India, where people are fighting poverty, we need to fight against corruption with all our might," as he put in his address from the Red Fort.

Modi's words that "corruption is hollowing out the country like a termite and we will have to fight it" do resonate well with young voters.

As for parivarvad, Modi has sought to expand the menace beyond the political arena. He has lamented that "the shadow of parivarvaad lies on several institutions." Modi thinks that such an observation finds greater resonance among people of different walks of life who have encountered such tendencies at their cost in places of business or work.

Very few would disagree with Modi when he says, "Our many institutions are affected by the family rule, it harms our talent, and nation's capabilities and gives rise to corruption... We have to develop an intolerance for this to save institutions. The welfare of the family has nothing to do with the welfare of the nation. Let's cleanse India's politics and institutions from the shackles of parivarvad. We need to discourage this in all institutions, including sports. We need to start a revolution against it. This is our social responsibility. We need transparency."  

How can the Opposition counter this?