Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's five tweets posted on Wednesday, August 23, expressing his anguish over the deaths of people in a series of train accidents over the past several months have set up a new precedent – something which is unique by the standards of the Narendra Modi government so far.
This is the first time that a top minister of the Modi government has offered to resign because of his ministry's failure to execute its work properly. Just a few days since the shocking incident of a train getting derailed near Muzaffarnagar because of callousness of railway officials, yet another train got derailed in the same UP, forcing Prabhu to come up with his decision (the PM though has asked him to wait).
I met the Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi taking full moral responsibility. Hon’ble PM has asked me to wait. (5/5)
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017
I am extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives. It has caused me deep anguish (4/5)
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017
New India envisioned by PM deserves a Rlys which is efficient and modern. I promise that is the path, on which Rlys is progressing now (3/5)
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017
Undr leadership of PM, tried 2 overcome decades of neglect thru systemic reforms in all areas leading 2 unprecedented investment& milestones
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017
In less than three years as Minister, I have devoted my blood and sweat for the betterment of the Railways (1/5)
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 23, 2017
It would have been an example of utmost shame had Prabhu not done it after the latest derailment and by seeking to take moral responsibility for the mishaps, he has saved some grace both for himself and his prime minister.
Suddenly, Modi's 'invincible' government looks mortal
However, Prabhu's tweets have a significance. For a government which has been running its show almost flawlessly for over three years now and the common concept of anti-incumbency seeming to be almost non-existent, the tech-savvy railway minister's apologies over social media – a medium that the current government uses to the hilt for regularly communicating with the electorate – suddenly makes PM Modi's regime look earthly.
The 'superman' image which Modi has grown over the years looks mortal and one begins to believe that even for an administration which lives by a mammoth propaganda machinery day in and out, failure is not completely avoidable.
The Modi government is one which knows not to apologise. In several instances in the past, Modi's ministers and the BJP's leaders have not been seen issuing an apology for any word or deed.
Even without a strong Opposition, democracy has a pressure of its own
The government has projected that with no sound Opposition in place, it is virtually invincible and its only alternative is itself. Prabhu's remorseful tweets have come without any Opposition leader attacking him and it reiterates the fact that even if there is no credible Opposition, democracy still has an unseen pressure which can make even the most powerful rulers bend.
We don't know yet what's the future has in store but Prabhu has set up a precedent that Modi's other top ministers should learn from. Being glorified by the reflection off the top leader is perfectly alright but only to the extent of the meeting accountability. The moment one loses sight of that basic philosophy in politics, the only outcome is a major collapse.
