Arun Jaitley’s birth anniversary yesterday was celebrated with much vigour and excitement yesterday by the nation as a whole and BJP in particular. One of the tallest leaders the saffron party has seen since its inception, Jaitely is respected by people across the political spectrum. From implementing GST to putting in place a new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, his economic reforms have put the nation on a growth trajectory. However, using his anniversary as a means to fulfil political vendetta is not beneath certain irrelevant politicians. BJP Bihar leader Sushil Modi has come out to launch a veiled attack on his party in the guise of wishing Jaitley.
Sushil Modi said, “He (Arun Jaitely) is such a member of our party, whose presence we miss every day. I am certain that had Arun Jaitley been alive today, the kind of problems the farmers are facing, over which this agitation is being held, he would have definitely found a solution for it.”
This covert attack is undoubtedly a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. As a BJP leader, Sushil Modi may have differences of opinion and can freely express them; to directly blame the party leadership for not finding a solution is downright low. That too, using the anniversary of a highly respected leader for his own petty motives.
Recently, Sushil Modi has been replaced as the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister by the party leadership, so his angst is understandable. From a person who was dreaming to be in PM Modi’s cabinet, having been overlooked for the Rajya Sabha election in 2016 was the first indication of his irrelevance. Now, four years later, this replacement is a final nail in the coffin.
However, this statement indicates that Sushil Modi’s yearning to grasp media attention knows no bounds. According to sources, his hunger for media attention is one of the reasons that has led to this situation. Clearly, Modi hasn’t learnt his lesson.
While Sushil Modi has been immersed in his petty vendetta, Jaitley’s birth anniversary was properly celebrated by the other leaders. In his memory, Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled Jaitley’s life-size statue at the premises of Delhi and District Cricket Association.
Arun Jaitley breathed his last on August 24th 2019, at the age of 66. He is one of those rare politicians who will be remembered for treating politics like a gentleman’s sport, always playing by the rules of the game and displaying an extraordinary generosity, that endeared him to both his friends and adversaries. Clearly, Sushil Modi picked his fight on the wrong day, which will be remembered by the leadership in the days to come.