Mukesh Ambani and Z security

Many Indians still don't know why Ambani has been provided the cover

If Twitter is made the voting pad, then by now Mukesh Ambani would have lost all the goodwill he has earned in his lifetime. Chairman of Reliance Industries and a billionaire, Ambani is under attack for getting security cover from the CRPF for himself. By paying Rs 15 lakh a month, Ambani will get 28 armed commandos to secure his life.

There is nothing wrong if Ambani gets the security cover as long as he is paying for it and not the tax payers or Reliance Industries shareholders. But what has made the entire country angry is the timing.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde cleared the proposal on a day when the entire country was protesting against the rape of a five-year old girl. Shinde is not known for his wisdom anyway, but Ambani could have handled it better.

Take for example, many Indians still don’t know why Ambani has been provided the security cover.  Was it just because of an anonymous letter purportedly written by Indian Mujahadeen? The police have no clue. The letter could even be written by a prankster from Altamount Road who was unable to take the traffic jam whenever Mr Ambani threw a party for the country’s power brokers at his palatial house.

The government is also not making anything clear. Was Mr Ambani is under threat as he took over the land meant for an orphanage meant for minority community children? We don’t know.

Another theory which is making the rounds is that as Ambani is close to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, that’s why terror organisations are targeting him. Modi is facing flak for his anti-minority stance during the 2002 riots and any support to Modi is taken as anti-minority.

If we look at the history of terror attacks in Mumbai, most of the time it is poor and people without security are targeted like in trains or in crowded places like Jhaveri Bhazar.

Ambani’s own show of opulence by building a $1 billion home in the city of slums has attracted negative reactions.  Constructing a lift for his family members at Wankhede Stadium was another negative for IPL matchesresulted in public opinion turning against him. The lift was later dismantled after public protests and an uninterested municipal corporation sent notices to the stadium. Buying an Airbus aircraft for his wife's birthday was another news which did not go well with the people.

What Ambani needs to do is to follow the path of the Tatas. Though the Tatas have had their own share of controversies, their public service record has overtaken all the negative news. Premji is another good example to follow. When you do good for the society, it will respect you. Or else, you will need security even from your own.