Narendra Modi will continue to rule as ‘Chakravarti Raja’ in 2025: Dr Chandra

In yet another installment of the JC Show, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra reflects on the legacy of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, especially his interactions with PM Narendra Modi. Dr Chandra commended Modi’s gesture of honouring Singh, a move praised both in India and internationally, emphasising the vision of New India set by Singh. The discussion also touches on the controversial glorification of Singh’s tenure, the issues with Congress’ reaction, and the fallout from Singh’s posthumous memorial controversy. The interview further explores the political dynamics during Singh’s time, highlighting the internal challenges within Congress, particularly the strained relationship between Singh and other party leaders, and what 2025 holds for the political realm of India. Excerpts...(Part-1)

• How will the year 2025 be for Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
  Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: The year 2025 will be a miraculous one for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will continue to rule like a “Chakravarti” (emperor) and maintain his dominance over the hearts of 140 crore people. By October 2025, there will be a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and a large part of the credit for this will go to Narendra Modi, alongside Trump and Putin. Numerous events related to Narendra Modi will take place in India and worldwide, further cementing the narrative that “Modi Hai, To Mumkin Hai.”

• How far will Modi’s “One Nation-One Election” agenda progress in 2025?
  The agenda will move forward, but it’s a longterm plan. In reality, this experiment is expected to be implemented starting in 2034. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has already been formed, and its chairman, PP Chaudhary, is a highly qualified and experienced individual. Under Modi’s supervision, I believe the JPC chairman will complete the task properly. If everything goes smoothly, the JPC report will likely be ready by the end of 2025. However, the issue of a two-thirds majority still stands.
  Currently, the NDA holds 292 seats in the Lok Sabha, but it needs 363 for a two-thirds majority. Similarly, in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA has 118 out of 231 total seats, requiring 154 seats. Amit Shah’s strategy is well-known for making the impossible possible. If all goes well, by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, Modi and Shah will have found a way to gather the necessary majority, and the first phase of the law will be passed. I believe that by 2034, the law will be fully implemented.

• How do you view Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to pay tribute and show respect to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh?
  This shows his greatness. For the first time, a sitting Prime Minister has shown such respect and reverence towards a former Prime Minister from a different party. He said that Manmohan Singh was a symbol of simplicity and honesty, and the country will always remember him as an honest and brilliant economist. Amit Shah and Mohan Bhagwat also made similar important remarks. Narendra Modi truly went the extra mile to sympathize with the late Prime Minister, and this was appreciated across the country—not just by the Punjabi community, but by people everywhere. The example of democratic tolerance that Modi presented sent a powerful message. Modi’s long-term vision means it’s not surprising if, a couple of years down the line, we find a member of Manmohan Singh’s family contesting elections on a BJP ticket. This generosity of Narendra Modi has been praised both domestically and internationally, especially because Manmohan Singh was known globally, whether in Russia, America, or elsewhere. People saw how Modi respected a former Prime Minister from a different political party, which has also enhanced his stature internationally.

• Some critics argue that BJP’s glorification of Dr Manmohan Singh has inadvertently led to the revival of Congress’ achievements from 2004- 2014 in the public eye. Do you agree with this view?
  Absolutely. For a moment, it seemed like Congress had revived itself from 2004 to 2014. Nobody had noticed it before, but once it was noticed, it was too late. From morning to evening, newspapers and news channels created a narrative around it. The Times of India headline read, “The Man Who Changed the Country,” followed by “The Silent Singham of Economic Revolution,” and then came references to the foundations of New India, a vision that Narendra Modi claims to have, but was originally laid by Manmohan Singh. There were mentions of the country being on the brink of bankruptcy, with gold being pledged, but Manmohan Singh’s leadership brought it back. He demonstrated economic liberalization, dismantled the permit-control system, reformed the stock market, brought in FDI, and struck the nuclear deal. He introduced NREGA, RTI, the Right to Education, and food security policies. BJP realized overnight that if all these things were done by Manmohan Singh, then what has Narendra Modi done? The next day, damage control began. You saw reports of Manmohan Singh’s disagreements with Sonia Gandhi and the perceived disrespect towards him, which became part of the media narrative. The government’s media management system faltered, and the damage was done before they could correct it. This ongoing glorification of Manmohan Singh and his legacy continues today, with articles and analyses of his personality in major newspapers. The dilemma for the BJP now is how to balance the sympathy for Manmohan Singh with the achievements of Congress during his tenure. I’m sure the BJP strategists are working on this because it’s a tricky mix that needs to be separated.

• There was a controversy surrounding the memorial and samadhi site of Dr. Manmohan Singh shortly after his funeral on December 28th. How do you view this controversy, and do you think it will persist in 2025?
  Yes, this issue will linger in 2025 because it’s a political war, and the matter has gained traction. The sequence of events is important here. Dr. Manmohan Singh passed away on the 26th of December, and by 11 a.m. on the 27th, a Cabinet meeting took place. Shortly after, the Home Ministry issued a press note stating that the Cabinet had paid tribute to him and that a memorial would be built, a trust formed, and land selected. Amit Shah personally conveyed this to Singh’s family, and they had no objections. However, the controversy arose because Congress was unhappy with the BJP ‘hijacking’ the Manmohan Singh card. Rahul Gandhi even stated that it was an insult to India’s first Sikh Prime Minister. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri responded, saying no controversy existed and that Rahul Gandhi was just trying to create one due to his political isolation. The real issue was the lack of proper seating arrangements at the funeral for Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi. They felt that they were not given proper protocol, and some of Singh’s relatives were kept outside due to crowding. Though this was a case of mismanagement, the situation was eventually handled. The government must acquire land quickly and establish the trust within the next two or three months to resolve this controversy.

• Some BJP leaders claim that Congress mistreated Dr. Manmohan Singh during his tenure and did not give him the respect he deserved. Do you have any comments on this?
  Yes, this accusation has been made. When Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, we also heard similar things. For example, once Rahul Gandhi tore up an ordinance that Manmohan Singh wanted to introduce. Rahul Gandhi was too young at that time, but it was still unfortunate that Dr. Manmohan Singh had to go through that. I’m sure it hurt him. He was a very serious and composed person and never made an issue out of it. Another matter was his day-to-day administration, where senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel often intervened. Manmohan Singh acted on behalf of Sonia Gandhi, issuing instructions, and sometimes his authority was questioned. But Manmohan Singh was seasoned and visionary enough not to let those disagreements escalate. Despite everything, there must have been mutual respect between Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh, because Sonia could have removed him at any point, but she didn’t. Their relationship endured. However, there were moments when his family members might have felt slighted. Despite everything, Dr. Manmohan Singh served for ten years as Prime Minister. Whether under the control of Sonia Gandhi or not, he led the country well, and that is not a bad deal in politics.

• Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, PK Mishra, also paid a heartfelt tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh. Have you seen that video?
  Yes, I watched the video, and was highly impressed with PK Mishra’s courage and conviction. He has been with Narendra Modi for 25 years and was a student of Manmohan Singh. They worked together in the Ministry of Agriculture on Disaster Management. Bureaucrats often become reluctant over time to praise someone from a different party, but PK Mishra openly acknowledged Dr Manmohan Singh’s contributions, describing him as a brilliant economist. This kind of open praise within the bureaucracy is rare and is highly appreciated. It reflects well on the Prime Minister’s leadership, as Modi himself acknowledged Mishra’s gesture. It was a commendable move on the part of the bureaucrat.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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