Has Arun Shourie given Modi a second chance by attacking him?

Arun Shourie can be a formidable opponent when he chooses to be. The Congress would never forget Shourie’s fight-to-finish battle against Rajiv Gandhi. One of his front-page commentaries in the Indian Express, where he was then the executive editor, started with a popular Urdu tagline “Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-katil main hai” or a variant of the slogan one can hear at protest rallies. His arguments were based on facts, but his challenge to the government had a street flavour to them. Rajiv Gandhi and his 400-plus brute majority in the Lok Sabha flexed their muscles and squirmed when they picked up the morning paper but could do little except shouting down the loquacious but numerically pathetic opposition benches, which included the BJP’s two members, and losing ground and fast.

It may be the turn of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lose ground now. Modi is being arraigned by Shourie.

Modi would have done well to see that the one-time frontline BJP ideologue didn’t turn against him and his dispensation. But Modi seems to have missed the opportunity to keep his supporter-turned-baiter on the right side. However, before the prime minister pays for his political indiscretion, he has a chance to turn Shourie’s no-holds-barred attack into an opportunity. And Shourie might have done Modi a favour.

Shourie’s observation that there was never a weaker prime minister's office (PMO) than the one under Modi is no doubt flattering to Manmohan Singh who was described as the "weakest" prime minister by LK Advani. Advani had also criticised PV Narasimha Rao of the Congress as the weakest prime minister. Though it’s history how Rao later skillfully turned his weakness into strength. Shourie will hate going that far in the past to the days of Narasimha Rao. He would hate going back even a year ago when he was singing paeans of Modi as a "decisive" leader.

Also read: Why I am disappointed with Arun Shourie

At a time when Shourie was plugging for Modi, Advani was sulking. But just about six months ago Advani was expressing apprehension that India could experience another Emergency. Advani had Modi in mind and possibly thought he would do a service by warning about the direction in which Modi was headed. Advani’s reading of the PMO under Modi a few months ago was completely opposite of what Shourie thinks now.

Modi has an opportunity to respond to the demand of the opposition by asserting his authority against those, within and outside his party, who are responsible for him being perceived as "weak". He certainly has the authority to crack down on the "fringe" within and the outside. His critics will have few options but to support him if Modi cracks the whip on the fringe and loony voices. Shourie is asking Modi to act tough and so are the opposition parties.

Also read - Arun Shourie: How Mr Modi is turning India into a Pakistan

Modi is being given a carte blanche as it were to act tough. After all who will question Modi, not morally at least, if he takes some decisive actions to turn a "weaker than even before" PMO into a strong and powerful machine that can act tough when the need arose? At least Shourie will feel morally compelled to say that the Modi PMO embodies not merely greater concentration of functions than ever before but wields power too.

Shourie might have done Modi a favour by comparing his PMO with the one presided over by Indira Gandhi and run by LK Jha. The PMO as a centre and hub of all power emerged during Mrs Gandhi’s prime ministership. Hers was the strongest PMO that went on to become the most authoritarian in independent India. From the strongest ever to an authoritarian one can be a short and swift journey. Does Shourie really wish Modi to not only concentrate all functions in the PMO but turn it into as powerful and whimsical PMO that Mrs Gandhi presided over?

Shourie has spared Modi of that guilt of presiding over an authoritarian-in-making PMO and unwittingly saved him from the criticism along that line. Whether opposition and liberal voices agree with Shourie on this score is a moot point. But Modi has no choice if he wishes to check his story being completely unravelled. He has to silence the fringe, especially those donning saffron robes, distance his government from the RSS at least in public perception and open a transparent channel of communication with the media.

He has to save himself, his government from being perceived as weaker-than-ever and face even more embarrassment than now and prove Shourie wrong. Will he do that? Well, there is no second chance for Modi.