The BJP has a long tradition of attacking democratic ideas and the Constitution. Operation Lotus, the heinous practice of illegally overthrowing a legally elected government by targeting, harassing, and buying leaders of governing state governments using national agencies like as the ED, CBI, ITD, and NIA, is shaking the country and tarnishing India’s reputation of democratic democracy. Recently, the same thing took place in Bihar and Jharkhand. The Bihar leader gave up on BJP politics, but Jharkhand did not. The whole state of Jharkhand, as well as the rest of India has witnessed how the BJP slandered a popular tribal leader. Driven by a political goal to obstruct the state government’s operations, the ED has arrested Jharkhand’s youngest chief minister in a money laundering case related to a suspected land scam after his resignation. Let’s analyze in detail how the BJP uses Operation Lotus to seize power without actually winning the elections.
Past History of stealing state governments:
Even if they have lost power in state elections in certain states, the BJP from the center has persistently tried to topple state governments and central agencies like the ED, CBI, ITD, and NIA are utilized to target, harass, and encircle the elected leaders. These agencies are looking into only cases that the government of the BJP has shortlisted, and intimidating political rivals that the BJP dislikes by pressuring them to join the BJP alliance. Using the illegal Lotus Model, the BJP captured power in Arunachal Pradesh (2016), Goa (2017), Karnataka (2019), Madhya Pradesh (2020), Maharashtra (2022), and most recently in Bihar (2024). Most of the people who are joining the BJP are the same people who the BJP had earlier accused of being corrupt. Evidently, all accusations against them have now been resolved, and the states’ ED, CBI, NIA, and IT departments have remained mute. Using the same strategies, the BJP from the central government tried to “steal” the government of Jharkhand and Bihar. Since June 2023, with federal authorities like the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department, and the Central Bureau of Investigation launched against “fund managers” of the JD(U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the state, the BJP began putting heavy pressure on Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar surrendered to BJP politics; but in Jharkhand, Hemant Soren did not.
Role of CBI, ED, and other central agencies:
Why don’t the ED, CBI, and NIA raid BJP leaders and their allies? The UPA administration was incredibly circumspect and transparent in its selection of new directors for key agencies prior to 2014, during the Congress period. Things are quite different now. The current administration appoints favorable individuals to senior positions and controls central agencies like as the EC, ED, and CBI. These agencies are actively functioning as BJP operatives, attempting to destabilize the Congress Party and alliance. The CBI and ED have yet to take action against B S Yediyurappa’s land mining scandal, Shivraj Chouhan’s vyapam scam, Himanta Biswa’s water supply and PPE kit scam, Ramesh Pokhriyal’s land and hydro projects scam, and Narayan Rane’s money laundering and land scam. MLAs from Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde Camp and Ajit Pawar Camp also had got ED summonses. These MLAs have now sided with the BJP, and a couple are currently serving in the Cabinet. What about the summons gave to the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar camps? Now that they have formed a coalition with the BJP, have they been exonerated of any charges? With the BJP washing machine, they are all clean and free. Lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya are among those who stole the country and fled. The ED and CBI did nothing to stop them, however those who disagree the BJP’s contends have face harassment by these agencies in the form of fake cases. It is evident that those who support democratic values are detained behind bars and refused bail for an extended period of time, while BJP supporters, even if he/she is culprit are allowed to live freely. This is the New India!
Who is Hemant Soren?
Hemant Soren’s career has been an uphill battle, beginning with his appointment to the Rajya Sabha in 2009, leading to Jharkhand’s youngest chief minister at the age of 38, being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate as soon as he resigned. Hemant was not his father Shibu Soren’s first choice when it came to carrying on his political heritage. In fact, Hemant was only prepared for politics when his older brother passed away in 2009. In 2009, he made his debut as member in the Rajya Sabha. With the backing of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Indian National Congress, he became the state’s youngest chief minister in 2013 and assumed leadership. Soren spearheaded a large-scale movement when the BJP-led government attempted to modify the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act to permit leasing out tribal property for non-agricultural uses in 2016. He surged to power in 2019 with the help of the Congress and RJD, and his JMM party alone won 30 assembly seats, the most it has ever had in the 81 member House. Social welfare has been a hallmark of his leadership, from guaranteeing doorstep service delivery through programs like “Apke Adhikar, Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar” to enlarging the state government’s pension system to cover more individuals. Motivated by an attempt to sabotage the operation of the state government, under the central BJP pressure, Soren was arrested by the ED in connection with a allegedly money laundering case featuring a purported land scam.
What Next?
Under BJP control, the entire foundation of the constitutional system, which has been so meticulously and painstakingly constructed over the preceding 77 years, is disintegrating and crumbling. In the event that the electorate abstains from voting, those who were elected may be threatened and bought off in order to establish a new government. This is the current state of the country’s democracy. The youth are unemployed, the rupee is falling, democracy is in trouble, and the country is in massive debt, yet the lotus is blooming. Himanta Biswas, Narayan Rane, Ajit Pawar, and Nitish Kumar all bowed down and enrolled in the BJP to avoid imprisonment, but Hemant Soren did not give up. He refused to bow down to ED, CBI and rejected joining the BJP or NDA by saying “This is but a pause. Life is a great battle. I have fought every moment; I will fight every moment but I will not accept the alms of compromise.”
