Out of all his ministers, why Modi should thank Sushma Swaraj the most
It was on September 13, 2013 that Sushma Swaraj had last opposed Narendra Modi. It was the crucial meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) top decision-making body - the parliamentary board - in New Delhi, in which Modi was elevated as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Swaraj was part of the camp led by senior leader LK Advani, who was so miffed at the ascent of Modi that he skipped the meeting.
Once, however, the decision to anoint Modi as the BJP's PM candidate was clear, Swaraj toed the party line. Since then, as the external affairs minister, she has supported, complemented and complimented Modi, though maintaining an unusually low profile.
Modi's foreign visits - 18 countries in one year - may have been highly publicised, but it was Swaraj who had prepared the groundwork for the prime minister. For instance, his China visit in May would not have been successful had Swaraj not created a positive atmosphere for it. China felt offended after India and the US issued a joint statement, on India's Republic Day, during President Barack Obama's visit to India, on the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region. The statement included a commitment to "safeguard maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea" which irked China. It was Swaraj who left for China on January 31 to salvage the situation. She met the Chinese leadership and also laid the foundation for the prime minister's visit. While Modi stole the show, Swaraj's role went unnoticed. She however seems to be content playing second fiddle to Modi - or has she adapted herself to the role that her ministry requires?
While Modi takes the lead in foreign affairs issues, the external affairs minister is quite content taking a backseat. But she follows up on the initiatives of the prime minister. When the prime minister asked the minister of state for external affairs, Gen VK Singh, to personally oversee the evacuation of Indians from war-torn Yemen in April, Swaraj was responding to SOS messages on Twitter. In one such case, a woman Sabah Shawesh, married to an Indian, was evacuated along with her infant from Yemen after she sent a message to Swaraj on Twitter.
Swaraj may be an exception among the ministers in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in responding to calls for help on Twitter. Be it Yemen, Nepal or any other country, she has taken quick personal initiatives to come to the rescue of those who are in trouble and has saved several lives and earned accolades in return.
Whenever Modi is under attack from the opposition for his foreign visits, it is Swaraj who has been quick to defend him, both in and outside the Parliament. She profusely praised Modi during her address to the media on May 31 while recounting her ministry's achievements in the past one year and credited the prime minister for the "transformational diplomacy".
Swaraj has also backed the prime minister's office (PMO) whenever it has faced criticism over controversial issues. When Sujatha Singh was abruptly removed as the foreign secretary in the last week of January, it was alleged that Swaraj was not kept in the loop. But the minister made it public that it was she who broke the news to Singh about the government's decision.
I told her that the Government wanted to appoint Dr.Jaishankar as Foreign Secretary.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 29, 2015The PM and Swaraj have developed a very cordial relationship, which has surprised even the political pundits. It was thought that she would emerge as a pole for the Modi-baiters in the party. On the contrary, the two leaders have been complementing each other. When the PM lauded her role in evacuating Indians from Yemen, she responded on Twitter, saying, "Thank you Prime Minister. I am humbled by your kind words."
Thank you Prime Minister. https://t.co/7Zfcin5YSL I am humbled by your kind words.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 19, 2015