SURPRISE SESSION ANOTHER MODI ADVENTURISM

WHILE an ambush is a general’s tactic, surprises are a statesman’s hallmark. BJP’s magnificent mascot, Narendra Modi, inevitably wins the war of perception by not being predictable but using unconventional manoeuvres on the political battlefield.

- PRABHU CHAWLA

He is adored and abhorred for keeping his cards close to his 56” chest and winning the grand slam using covert strategies. Last week, while his opponents were at the INDIA meet in Mumbai, Modi threw a curveball. He directed his Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Prahlad Joshi, to announce on X, a special five day session of Parliament after G 20 is over. Never before have dates for a session been announced on social media, that too, without reference to any prior Cabinet meeting. Joshi played coy about its purpose, which perhaps only the PM and some trusted officials who worked on the legislative agenda knew.

What can it be? Media moguls, selfproclaimed political insiders and garrulous gossips were at sea. However, ignorance didn’t prevent them from predicting the session’s outcomes. All grandiose BJP spokespersons were conspicuous by their absence on news channels. Speculations abounded on the dissolution of all state assemblies and the Lok Sabha to facilitate simultaneous elections, women’s reservation in all legislatures, implementing a Uniform Civil Code, fixing the minimum income and discussing the success of the G20 summit. But these don’t need an out of season session. A wild theory that the Constitution could be drastically amended to dilute India’s parliamentary form of government and introduce a presidential system was floated. This columnist, too, has decided to participate in the guess-fest for fun.