PM busy with yoga as noise over 'scam' grows

Apart from yoga, a campaign on Incredible India is what's keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged

It has almost been a yoga fest for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook and Twitter, while a senior minister in his Cabinet and a chief minister of a Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state have been caught up in the first major controversy of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

While Modi has been called “mouni PM’’ (silent PM) in a Facebook post on his page, he has not responded to the allegations of nexus that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje might have had with former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi for quid pro quo.

Read more from our special coverage on "LALIT MODI"

• Lalit committed offences during Congress rule, but no action was taken: Govt
• Lalitgate: Congress questions PM's silence, says he too is liable
• Cong links Rajasthan govt's MoU with Portugal to Lalit Modi case
• Congress' multi-pronged attack on Swaraj, Raje
• Release letter UPA wrote to chancellor Osborne on Lalit Modi issue: Chidambaram

So, what exactly has the public interface of the PM been like ever since the Lalit Modi episode broke out on June 14? His tweets and Facebook posts of the past few days show that he attended only one public event since then--a book release on June 15 at his residence, where he addressed a gathering of scholars, historians and diplomatic representatives. Besides, he has been busy with a meeting of the Cabinet and several others with his ministerial colleagues, including on review of Aadhar and direct benefits transfer scheme and monitoring welfare of tribals.



Also, he met people from the political as well as business world through the week — Cisco Chairman John Chambers, Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete, head of Sivagiri Mutt Swami Prakashananda, Chinese leader Zhang Dejiang, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and 12-year-old winner of Bhagvad Gita Champion League Maryam Asif Siddiqui, among others.



But the highlight of the week for the prime minister seems to have been a rush of tutorials on asanas in the run-up to the Yoga Day on June 21. He’s elaborated on the benefits of anything from pranayama to anuloma violama all through social media, complete with photographs. Modi has even posted pictures of army personnel preparing for the Yoga Day at Siachen base camp and naval officers displaying their yoga skills by the ocean. Apart from yoga, a campaign on Incredible India is what’s keeping the prime minister engaged. The launch of the Narendra Modi app too got his attention — “come let’s stay connected,” he tweeted on June 17.



But, in spite of his call to connect with the people of the country, the PM hasn’t replied to the many queries he received on the alleged involvement of some of his colleagues in the Lalit Modi case. While some of his FB posts are liked by even Mark Zuckerberg, the PM’s pages are getting filled with demands for sacking the ministers who have been less than transparent. “Poster boy Mr Modi, where are you hiding,” asks a follower. “What goes up, comes down,” says another.