Meghwal rape charge, VK Singh tweets & Goa ministers' junket embarrass Narendra Modi government

NEW DELHI: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries to be more statesmanlike with each passing day, some of his ministers have caused the NDA dispensation eminently avoidable embarrassment in the ‘honeymoon phase’ of its tenure.

While VK Singh forgot collective responsibility demanded that he go by the defence ministry’s endorsement of Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag’s elevation as Army chief – and tweeted like it was still campaign days – the rape charge against the lone minister from Rajasthan, minister of state for chemicals and fertilizers Nihal Chand Meghwal, added to the government’s discomfort. And if central ministers were not enough, four ministers of the BJP government in Goa decided to go on a junket to Brazil during the football world cup.

The rape charge against Meghwal has dented the image of the Modi government as it came at a time when Modi and other NDA ministers have been speaking against rape following the Badaun incident.

A 20-year-old woman has charged that Meghwal is one of 17 people, including her husband, who sexually exploited her. Her review petition in the case led to a metropolitan magistrate to summon Meghwal and others. The minister and other accused have been asked to appear in court on August 20.

Though BJP has won all 25 LS seats in Rajasthan, only Meghwal was given a berth in the Union Council of Ministers. The controversy over Meghwal came close on the heels of the embarrassment caused by VK Singh. The minister of state for external affairs showed an acute lack of diplomacy when he let his differences with Lt Gen DS Suhag spill out in the open once again.

While defence minister Arun Jaitley maintained that the NDA government is fine with Suhag’s elevation to the post of Army chief by the UPA regime in its last days, Singh tweeted his resentment over the issue. VK Singh was miffed at an affidavit submitted by the ministry that the ban imposed by Singh during his tenure as Army chief on Lt Gen Suhag’s promotion was “premeditated and illegal”.

Though Modi was probably unaware of BJP ministers in the Manohar Parrikar government in Goa going on a junket to Brazil, it has created some negative publicity for him and his party at this juncture. After reports appeared that four ministers and two legislators of the BJP government in Goa were going on a government-funded visit to watch the football world cup, they have offered to pay for their trip.