By selecting Basavaraj Bommai as the new Karnataka Chief Minister, the BJP Central leaders have taken a smart decision. The Sangh Parivar-backed group within the BJP which planned to snatch power from the Lingayats in the State has beaten a retreat at least for the time being. 

When the country is still struggling with the second wave of the Coronavirus, the government finds itself caught in the Rafale whirlpool yet again.The controversy over the Rafale deal broke out much before the pandemic with several organizations approaching the Supreme Court demanding an investigation into the deal but without any success as the apex court held the view that that ‘there is no need for an investigation.’

Even before the Coronavirus pandemic hit us, India was one among the most malnourished countries. It was expected that Covid-19 would deal a death blow to the poor in India that has one of the worst development indicators. The situation got worse when the government imposed a stringent lockdown last year without making adequate preparations.

There was a time when June meant copious rains. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs would over-flow and politicians would take the opportunity to offer prayers to these water bodies.

The true colour of saffron-clad Baba Ramdev who mesmerized people emotionally with his Ayurveda, culture, and yoga offerings and became a mega industrialist by grabbing all the facilities provided by the government is getting slowly exposed now. Ramdev is showing his true colours when the country is struggling like never before and the medical fraternity has pledged itself to the fight the pandemic. His attitude that he will not hesitate to sacrifice the country’s interest for his selfish gains has come out in the open.

As a popular saying goes it takes hundred years to build, but just a minute to destroy. When the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre started destroying one by one the institutions built over the past 70 years by the Congress, people assumed that the prime minister was going to build something new and different.

India is literally counting deaths now. Political leaders who having failed to provide hospital beds and oxygen to the Covid-19 patients are simply making provisions for the disposal of the dead bodies. They have not only increased the number of crematoriums but also assured that their number would be increased further. Politicians seem to be more adept at cremating dead bodies  than protecting their lives. Their message seems to be that  “Be prepared to die, we will make preparations to light your pyres.” Even the media is busy counting the deaths instead of boldly exposing the failure of the Centre and the state governments.