The Most Dangerous Man in India

Beware of those that lust for power at any cost.

Democracy is a beautiful yet dirty game. Theoretically, any person should be able to contest for a candidacy. Theoretically, people will choose the most deserving and adept candidate. Theoretically, good governance will prevail and democracy will move the country forward.

But of course, most theories cower in the face of reality.

India’s democracy will be exercised in these next few months. It boils down to a divisive yet powerfully poised incumbent in Narendra Modi versus a cacophony of opposition – the most prominent among them, a certain Mr. Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi is Indian royalty in almost every sense of the word. From lineage to wealth to caste, Rahul comes from the highest echelons of the aforementioned.

His great-grandfather (Jawaharlal Nehru), grandmother (Indira Gandhi), and father (Rajiv Gandhi) have all held the post of Prime Minister. His mother, Sonia Gandhi, presided over a remote-control rule of India as she ruled from the shadows during Manmohan Singh’s tenure from 2004-2014.

The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty (unrelated to Mahatma Gandhi) has had mixed fortunes for India in various aspects. But a few negative constants can be seen – corruption, appeasement, and division. But the past is the past; Rahul is not his ancestors, so let us examine him as an individual.

Rahul Gandhi was born to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Maino (Gandhi) in 1970. It’s hard not to say he was born with a platinum pot in his mouth. He was from India’s “First Family” as his sycophant supporters say and inherited enormous wealth. However, Rahul faced tragedy several times in his life. His grandmother and father were both assassinated. Rahul has faced the ugliest sides of politics in these horrid killings.

He was schooled in India and then eventually went to Harvard for further studies, then transferring to Rollins College in Florida after his father’s assassination. Rahul then went for further study in Cambridge and eventually went to work for a management consultancy firm called the Moniter Group.

Then came his foray into politics in 2004. Contesting from Amethi – his father’s seat – Rahul Gandhi came pledging a message of unity and an end to divisiveness. Ironic.

Rahul played a periphery role during the UPA’s rule from 2004 to 2014. But during this time, Rahul was being groomed for his “rightful” seat on the Iron Throne of New Delhi. But what exactly makes Rahul so dangerous?

There are a few things.

Cobwebs of Corruption

Firstly, his party and family have perfected corruption to an art form. The UPA was hit with a litany of scams and corruption towards the end of its 2014 reign. The sheer number and consistency of scams is mind boggling during this time period and represents only a piece of the various scams starting from Indira Gandhi’s time.

Here’s a few that Rahul himself is under investigation for:

• National Herald – A money laundering case culminating in the illegal possession of $700 million worth of property/assets.
• Agusta Westland – A helicopter/defense bribery case totaling $35 million spread across various Congress Party members including Rahul.
• Vadra Land Grab – A land grab/money laundering scheme where Rahul Gandhi has stood by and allegedly benefited from his brother-in-law’s (Robert Vadra) corrupt deal.
• Madhya Pradesh Income Tax Avoidance – Just as recently as April 2019, ED authorities uncovered illegal cash stashes and paper trails related to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister; the trail lead to a specific political party address at a certain Tughlaq Road in Delhi (Guess where Rahul stays).

This is just a taste of various scams that Rahul Gandhi has found himself related to. He is currently out on bail along with his mother in relation to the National Herald case.

What makes this even more terrifying is that the Congress Party has made a process where they dole out freebies/cash to the poor. But take large sections of it for themselves. Government sponsored money laundering is their bread and butter. Many believe they seek to do this with their latest scheme – NYAY – a minimum income guarantee for 20% of India’s poorest; but more on that later.

It seems insane that a PM candidate for the world’s largest democracy could be under investigation for so many large scams. But here’s the kicker and the second part that makes Rahul so dangerous – The tryst with the Media.

A Malleable Media

As the Congress Party dominated Indian politics by hook and crook since independence, it also had large influence on academia, bureaucracy, and media.

The relationship between the Congress Party and the Indian media is an incestous and dirty one. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” is the norm among various media personalities.

The Nira Radia tapes exposed a nexus of businessmen, political lobbyists, and journalists aiming to influence elections through the media. Even worse, was the subsequent mainstream media blackout and legal action to silence the tapes in the aftermath of the leaks. Recently, another case has emerged in the aforementioned Agusta Westland scam. Legal documents show how Agusta Westland personnel tried to gain influence in the media as well as cover for Congress’s corruption to facilitate the deal.

But beyond specific instances, we have to look at trends. There are probably many more unfound examples of this relationship, but what is most terrifying is the media’s silence on Rahul’s scams. As a compound effect, many of these media houses are the same ones that pass information and coverage to the international media. These international outlets mimic the silence on Rahul Gandhi.

Much of the English language and westernized media have tried to project Rahul Gandhi as a Justin Trudeau-esque character (funny enough who is also under corruption charges now). As someone who is always politically correct. Someone who is down to earth. Someone who loves rather than hates.

This is all far from the truth.

Divide and Conquer

For the past few decades, the Congress Party and now Rahul Gandhi have relied on the good old colonial strategy of divide and conquer. By dividing Hindu votes by caste, regionalism, and ethnicity, the Congress Party then just needs to consolidate a minority vote bank to lead them to victory.

Rahul claims himself to be secular, but his party has twisted the meaning of secularism to mean minority appeasement. The Congress Party has enacted laws explicitly favoring Christian and Muslim people, places of worship, schools, and institutions thereby creating an institutional discrimination against Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains. Rahul was a senior Congress member while many of these laws were enacted.

To sow division against a consolidated Hindu vote, Rahul’s tenure has had Congress Party members oversee caste riots in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana by various groups. He even tried to get certain Hindus (Lingayats) to declare themselves non-Hindus in order to benefit from minority appeasement laws and break the Hindu vote.

Similarly, Rahul Gandhi encourages regionalism in South India, Bengal, and Kashmir just for the sake of votes. Rahul’s desperation for power knows no bounds as he flaunts with various separatist and supremacist elements in these areas. This is where Rahul’s biggest danger starts showing up. In his quest to become Prime Minister, he will do anything and everything all while showing absolute ineptitude.

His latest stunt relies on a different type of division – monetary. While various world politicians (including Modi) have helped alleviate poverty with welfare schemes, Rahul’s latest scheme – NYAY – is utter insanity. NYAY aims to give a minimum income of 72,000 rupees per family to the bottom 20% poorest Indians. While of course an admirable endeavor, this scheme is financially unfeasible and may even encourage joblessness and stagnancy amongst the poor. The fiscal deficit will skyrocket, as will inflation, and India’s rising economy would be stunted. NYAY has become the ultimate example of Rahul’s recklessness and desperation.

There’s also one last aspect of NYAY that the MSM is not discussing. The Congress Party has a habit of using government schemes as laundering for corruption. NYAY presents the ultimate opportunity for this method. Government/Tax payer money would be directed to fake citizens, numbers, and locations. NYAY represents a golden goose for Congress’s corruption.

The Clown Prince

Rahul has more or less had everything handed to him in life. At times, he does seem like a nice guy though. He can be shown as humble, loyal (to his family), and someone who doesn’t take themselves as serious as other politicians. His casualness/ineptitude as well as his penchant for fumbling speeches has earned him the name – “Pappu.” In that way, he can come off as a normal guy. This is what I most admire about him.

Unfortunately, he ends up breaking this nice image by frequently acting as if he deserves the chair of Prime Minister. As if it is his blood right.

Rahul has a bad habit of blatantly lying to make a point (best example is the insanity of Rafale). He doesn’t have any true experience leading a team, let alone an entire nation.

He has been thrust into the Congress Presidency, but has a well oiled machinery of media, NGOs, and policy advisors to back him. But if the leader is rotten, so will be the organization. In the end, it is an inexperienced Rahul’s call – which is the most terrifying.

Combine that with his family’s favorite hobby being corruption, his habit for divisiveness, and his desperate thirst for power – Rahul Gandhi clearly becomes the Most Dangerous Man in India.