New Delhi, February 23: The recent controversy over LK Advani’s supposed ‘apology’ to Sonia Gandhi with regard to BJP’s allegations of Gandhi family having Swiss bank accounts has indeed stirred up a hornet’s nest.
It was actually quite amazing what a storm even a three line letter can create. And surprising too, to say the very least. For all of us the way it has been tom tommed in the media has been quite a shocker. At a time when Congress is neck deep in dirty scams erupting left, right and center, what else do you expect a headline like- ADVANI APOLOGIZES TO SONIA to achieve! I mean, my initial reaction was like- Did Advani pass a lewd comment on Sonia for which he was apologizing? It was only after reading the whole thing that I realized that it was possibly much worse.
Checkout this letter once again
Think about it. Why would LK Advani express ‘regret’ for distress caused to Sonia Gandhi for his own allegations against her? And why does he need to feel happy about her denying allegations that her family has any account in which blackmoney is stashed away? Is he now convinced that the Gandhi family is absolutely clean? Is her denial enough? These are some questions which raise serious doubts about those three lines. For those of you who think that this is just a innocuous and courteous letter thanking Sonia Gandhi for her earlier response are just being naive. Things don’t work that way in politics. Such letters are not written in a hurry. Not by someone of the stature of LK Advani. Each and every word written by him must have been debated and rebated within the BJP. And it must’ve emerged in their discussions that this will be construed as an ‘apology’ by the media, which it was.
So why did Advani ‘apologize’? And the answer may be- in return for a JPC on 2G scam or a relief for Amit Shah or may be both. There does not really seem to be any other explanation for such a letter. And for those of you who still cannot get over the screaming headline of ‘apology’ to Sonia, well, thats exactly the way it was meant to be. You and me were meant to react the way we did, by design, of both BJP and the Congress.
Both Advani and by now Sonia Gandhi too, are seasoned and wily politicians. Both very well would know the repercussions of this ‘give and take’. BJP would know very well that this sort of ‘clean chit’ to Sonia Gandhi will be used by Congress in next elections and every time there is any question pertaining to her integrity and honesty. And Congress too would very well know what damage a JPC can cause to their image and prospects at the hustings. Suffice to say that all the cards in this game have not been dealt out yet.
The focus will now shift to the JPC and the kind of grand standings that’ll now happen in front of cameras after every hearing/meeting. And Advani would know very well that his party’s fortunes and his own ambition of becoming the PM may well depend on the outcome of this JPC. So, who knows? Advani may’ve just done the right thing, just that that it’s morally incorrect. But hey, morals? Whats that?
Courtesy: makesplash.com