Modi enjoys unprecedented popularity

• Published date: 15 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

The fight against the deeply entrenched ecosystem of corruption (created by the 55-year rule, including first 30 years, by a single dynastic party in India) is a major factor behind Mr Modi’s ever-growing popularity. There is huge sense of relief at the grass-root level to witness action being taken and recoveries made from the rich and powerful elites who operated with a sense of entitlement of impunity. The anti-corruption drive itself is so successful because the government has given free hand to the relevant agencies (their appointment, constitution and operating procedures are quite similar to the corresponding Irish/British agencies), and the adoption of innovative technology to facilitate detection of the nefarious, multilayered web of corruption and tax evasion by politicians, NGOs, and media. All cases of corruption are pursued strictly as per the established procedure, with availability of usual judicial remedies to the affected parties. India also, like the US, Ireland and other European Union countries, does not have a separate tax code or judicial process for journalists, human rights...