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The Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
When Vajpayee Chose to Fall in Line After Godhra
The following is an excerpt from Abhishek Choudhary's The Believer's Dilemma: A.B. Vajpayee and the Ascent of the Hindu Right. Even in late March 2002, after a month of riots, half a dozen people were getting killed in Gujarat every day. Vajpayee frequently called up Modi, often late in the night, for updates, advice, and rebukes. But his ire was not personal. He knew the failure was a mix of Modi's deliberate administrative inefficiency and the Sangh Parivar's planned vendetta. He hated Modi for strengthening himself by polarizing the atmosphere in Gujarat, though he was perfectly aware of the Sangh affiliates' intricate tapestry on the ground. Had Modi not allowed the local BJP–VHP– Bajrang Dal cadres to vent their anger, he risked becoming unpopular among his peers. But soon everyone – eight of the NDA's twenty-three allies, opposition, media, civil society – publicly demanded Modi's head.* Vajpayee thought it prudent to rehabilitate him in Delhi. He flirted with the idea of swapping Modi and his fellow Gujarati, Kashiram Rana, the textiles minister. (Talking to Delhi journalists in public, Modi had, in the recent past, mocked Rana as a 'maans khaane waala' – a meat-eater – not sufficiently self-aware that most Delhi journalists ate meat too, and what worked as a great joke in Gujarat didn't land nearly as well in the national capital.) Abhishek Choudhary's The Believer's Dilemma: A.B. Vajpayee and the Ascent of the Hindu Right. Picador (May 2025) Simultaneously, however, a four-member team was meeting every week at 7 RCR – Vajpayee, Advani, Kushabhau Thakre, Madan Das Devi – to discuss the matter. The other three disagreed. The party had lost all major assembly polls. Gujarat was the last bastion, awaiting polls in less than a year. Firing Modi would be a top-down decision, which would pit the centre against the local cadres, worsening the confusion on the ground. Instead, a mid-way solution might be to call for early elections. There seemed to be a Hindu resurgence at work, and they calculated that the party would massively benefit. Winning the POTO vote on 26 March proved that he could easily survive the exodus of an ally or two. Vajpayee still wanted to play safe and replace Modi. The prime minister was to make a week-long foreign trip in early April 2002. Partly out of the anxiety that he might be grilled abroad about evading his executive responsibilities, he decided to visit the riottorn state. In preparation, Vajpayee summoned Modi to explain why the rehabilitation had been sluggish. On 27 March, while Modi made a PowerPoint presentation at 7 RCR, Vajpayee sat with a pout. He snubbed the unflappable chief minister when the latter defended himself, claiming he had no funds to build houses for the victims whose homes had been burnt and were now living in the relief camps. Well, raise money from private agencies, the boss rebutted, like Patel had for the earthquake victims. Modi complained of exaggerated media reports. Vajpayee countered that he was not bothered so much about media or opposition, but what should he tell the NDA allies who enquired why the killings had not stopped. Advani sat by awkwardly. The prime minister landed in Ahmedabad on the morning of 4 April. Three helicopters flew his delegation to Godhra, where the remains of the S6 coach lay near an abandoned building in the railway yard. Vajpayee climbed into the coach using a special wooden chair. He walked through the coach with a stiff face. Only Modi followed his boss into the coach, his calm face concealing the awkwardness of the occasion. On return, the helicopters landed at a football ground near the Kankaria relief camp in Ahmedabad, the majority of whose inhabitants were Hindus. This quickly done, Vajpayee left for the Shah-e-Alam camp. Modi had never visited Shah-e-Alam, the largest of all relief camps, sheltering Muslims. The PMO had rejigged Vajpayee's itinerary the previous evening to include it. Vajpayee entered to find a 4,000-strong crowd – miserable, grieving, and agitated – waiting for him. Among the first things he heard was a slogan directed at the chief minister: 'Modi – haaye, haaye!' As Vajpayee caressed a five-year-old orphan's head, a young man pointed at Modi and screamed: 'He is the killer.'27 Another victim who had lost six members of his family broke down, saying the attacking mob had said they had been ordered by the government: 'Upar se hukum hai.' Yet another one stooped to touch Vajpayee's feet, begging him to stop the violence. They were whisked away. His voice choked and eyes welled up, Vajpayee addressed the crowd, asking half to himself: 'Have satanic forces overtaken humanity?' He promised, amid applause, that the refugee camps would continue as long as necessary, and the government would rehabilitate them all; and that widows, orphans, and the destitute would receive money as part of relief packages. The visit was to be wrapped up with a press conference at Ahmedabad airport. Asked whether he was considering a change of guard in the state, Vajpayee responded: 'I don't think so.' To another question, Vajpayee answered that Hindus were capable of safeguarding themselves: 'It is the minorities who need protection.' The PMO had planted the 'one last question' on a friendly scribe. She asked if Vajpayee had a message for Modi sitting on his left. Vajpayee paused for a few seconds before replying that he 'would want the chief minister to adhere to rajdharma'. He took another long pause, then added: 'Rajdharma – this word is imbued with meanings. I adhere to this principle too, have been trying to.' Modi feigned a smile but was beginning to look embarrassed. The prime minister went on: 'A king cannot treat his subjects unequally – not on the basis of birth, or caste or religion.' Unable to fight his urge to stay quiet, Modi retorted that he was doing his job rather fine: 'Hum bhi wahi kar rahe hain, saheb.' The crowd chuckled at his audacious response. Vajpayee closed the press interaction with an oblique, half-sarcastic remark, which could be interpreted in whichever way: 'I am certain Narendrabhai is doing exactly that.' This exchange is often invoked as a mark of Vajpayee's liberalism. It was at best an executive head's pusillanimous appeal. It proved that Vajpayee was admitting Modi's culpability but he just could not find the courage to sack him. Here was a crafty patriarch balancing his contradictory loyalties, hoping to prolong his survival in office. If the prime minister felt embarrassed by his subordinate's audacity, he had only his ego to swallow. As he sat aboard his flight to Singapore, Vajpayee feared being humiliated abroad. That the cursed place was not the Hindi heartland, rather India's fastest-growing state, could scare away potential investors. By the time he landed, he had found an answer. In a post-9/11 world, it was easier to fix the causality: India's communal problems were a consequence of a global jihadi network. He felt further encouraged after his hosts informed him that the Al-Qaeda tentacles had touched Singapore, and that they had recently arrested a dozen-odd suspects. The second leg of his trip, Singapore to Cambodia, was time-travel from the future into the past. His most significant engagement was signing an agreement to restore the Ta Prohm Temple in the Angkor Wat complex. Walking with the help of a stick, he took in the remnants of the old Hindu state of Kamboj, some of whose sky-high temples constructed a millennia ago still survived. While the prime minister was away, the Sangh Parivar carried out a fierce whisper campaign: Modi had to be defended at all costs; Vajpayee 2002: The Survivalist 337 was too out of sync with the party's dominant mood, too old in any case, and had led the party into one electoral mishap after the other. He had entered a fifth year of office: maybe he should demit in favour of Advani. The morning after he returned, he left for the national executive meet in Goa, where he had to formally deliver the verdict on Modi. Brajesh Mishra had arranged for the senior ministers to travel in Vajpayee's plane. Just before landing in Panaji, Advani agreed to ask Modi to offer – though only as roleplay – his resignation. At the national executive that afternoon, everyone played by the script. Though visibly tense, Modi rose to make a passionate defence of his conduct in the aftermath of Godhra. At the end, he offered his head. Suddenly, most of the 175-odd members gathered there began a chorus in his support. It was a stage-managed decision to be sure, so much so that even the Gujarat chief minister's sworn foes – Keshubhai Patel, Pramod Mahajan – trimmed their sail and vigorously backed him. Even so, Vajpayee was surprised by the force of Modi's backing. The BJP president Jana Krishnamurthi announced that the final decision would be discussed at 8 p.m., after the prime minister returned from a rally he was to speak at in Panaji. His authority fading, Vajpayee chose to fall in line.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican Nevada governor vetoes voter ID measure
Nevada's GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo on Thursday vetoed a voter ID measure, foregoing a proposed requirement to have voters show identification before casting ballots at the polls. The bill, known as A.B. 499, was passed in a bipartisan effort by the state Legislature to improve voter verification and increase the number of drop boxes for mail ballots across the state. Lombardo said he ultimately chose to veto the bill over a lack of clear provisions and guidelines on regulations. 'I wholeheartedly support Voter ID and am appreciative of the effort to codify it into statute. However, this bill is not entirely consistent with the constitutional amendment that Nevada voters will consider again in 2026,' the governor wrote in a Thursday message. 'AB 499 fails to resolve-and may even introduce- inconsistencies in how voter identification is reviewed, does little to improve signature verification and leaves too much ambiguity for future interpretation or regulation,' he added. The legislation would've required in-person voters to show their ID while allowing mail-in ballots to be accepted with a valid signature. 'This inconsistency undermines the principle of uniform voter verification. Voter ID is essential for ensuring election integrity, and it should be applied consistently across all voting methods,' Lombardo said. However, state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D) said the veto symbolized a 'breach of trust' after the governor previously shared support for the bill, according to The Associated Press. Lombardo's veto comes as Republicans usher in a sweeping push to codify stricter identification requirements for voters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Trump, DOJ threaten California with legal action, fines after trans athlete's win
Early Tuesday, President Donald Trump promised in a social media post that California will face 'large scale fines.' Trump previously warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that the athlete, AB Hernandez, should not compete because of Trump's executive order seeking to ban transgender athletes from women's sports. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Although Newsom did not agree to block Hernandez from the championships, the state's high school sports governing body debuted a new policy allowing an additional competitor in events for which Hernandez qualified. 'The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,' the federation said in a statement last week. Advertisement The California Interscholastic Federation and Education Department did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday morning. Under the new rule, the athletes who scored after Hernandez also medaled. Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle shared the first-place spot on the podium with Hernandez for the high jump after all three cleared a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches, according to the Associated Press, but Wetteland and Laruelle both logged a failed attempt while Hernandez had no failed attempts. Advertisement Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California, also shared first place with Kira Gant Hatcher in the triple jump and second place in the long jump with Brooke White, who embraced Hernandez on the podium. 'It made me really emotional seeing how people could be so hateful to a 16-year-old girl,' White told the local CBS station. The participation of transgender athletes in women's sports is one of several issues to which Dhillon has redirected her civil rights staff to focus on since she was sworn in in April. Last week, the Justice Department also announced it would be opening a Title IX investigation in California and filed a statement of interest in support of a federal lawsuit over state law A.B. 1266, which states that a 'pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil's records.' Title IX is the federal law that bars sex discrimination in schools. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously sent letters to California, Maine and Minnesota warning that they would face legal action if they did not obey federal law and Trump's February executive order on trans athletes. In April, the Justice Department sued Maine's Education Department, and shortly after, Minnesota preemptively sued the Trump administration, calling Trump's executive order unconstitutional. Advertisement
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nevada Becomes the 21st State To Strengthen Donor Privacy Protections
On Thursday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed Assembly Bill 197 into law, prohibiting state agencies from demanding or releasing personal information of nonprofit supporters—actions that could potentially chill speech or violate the right to privacy. With the bill's passage, Nevada becomes the 21st state to strengthen First Amendment protections for donors, volunteers, and members of nonprofit organizations. The A.B. 197, which was cosponsored by Assemblymembers Shea Backus (D–Las Vegas) and Gregory Hafen (R–Pahrump), clarifies that state governmental entities cannot require nonprofit organizations that have applied for or received a 501(c) tax-exempt status from the IRS to disclose personal information of their supporters, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and donation details. Only certain exceptions apply, such as when such information is required under federal law or a court order, in which case the state must keep the individuals' personal information confidential. Anyone harmed by a violation of this law may bring a civil action against the state and seek damages. Nonprofit donor privacy is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment, as was first determined in the Supreme Court's unanimous National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Patterson ruling. The 1958 decision blocked the Alabama state government from forcing civil rights organizations to release personal, identifying information of supporters, thereby preventing threats, harassment, and intimidation of individuals for their beliefs. The right was reaffirmed and further clarified in the Court's 2021 Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta opinion, which struck down a mandate from former California Attorney General Kamala Harris requiring nonprofits to provide certain donor information to remain registered with the state. The Nevada bill passed through both chambers of the Legislature with an overwhelming majority and only one vote against it. Even more strikingly, nonprofits from across the political spectrum, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, Americans for Prosperity, Nevada Right to Life, and Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, supported the measure. "Americans are fed up with the abuse of their privacy and First Amendment rights. No one should face threats, doxing, or retaliation simply for supporting a nonprofit organization," said Heather Lauer, CEO of People United for Privacy Foundation, a national privacy rights organization, in a press release. With the passage of A.B. 197, Nevada joins 20 other states across the political spectrum that have passed similar legislation since 2018. In a time of hyper-partisanship and regular free speech violations—especially from the federal government—it's encouraging to see some state governments still honoring the constitutional protections enshrined in the First Amendment. The post Nevada Becomes the 21st State To Strengthen Donor Privacy Protections appeared first on
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PatientRightsAdvocate.org Calls on Nevada Gov. Lombardo to Support Hospital Price Transparency Bill
A.B. 343 would turn Trump executive order into state law CARSON CITY, Nev., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- (PRA) is urging Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo to sign A.B. 343, major legislation to deliver hospital price transparency to Nevadans that was passed out of the Nevada Legislature earlier this week. If enacted, the bill would require Nevada hospitals to post all actual prices of available services online, so patients can see upfront prices before care, as well as provide tools for patients to seek recourse when they have been overcharged. It would codify the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule first enacted in January 2021 under President Donald J. Trump and since expanded in February 2025. "A new era for Nevada patients is on the horizon, and now it's up to Governor Lombardo to make healthcare history for his state," said PRA Founder and Chairman Cynthia Fisher. "This monumental legislation will protect Nevadans from hospital overcharges, surprise bills, and hidden fees with guaranteed access to upfront, actual prices in exact dollars and cents. Complete price transparency will be transformative to lower the costs of care and coverage for families, employers, unions, and Nevada's entire healthcare market." According to a new poll conducted by Echelon Insights, 96% of Americans agree that healthcare consumers should know the upfront price of their care. Meanwhile, according to PRA's Seventh Semi-Annual Hospital Price Transparency Report, only 35% of Nevada hospitals reviewed are fully complying with the federal price transparency rule. Of the 2,000 hospitals reviewed nationwide, just 21% were found to be in full compliance. "We applaud Nevada lawmakers, especially the bill's sponsor, Assembly Speaker Yeager, for responding to not only the urgency but also the popularity of this commonsense issue," added Fisher. "The fight for real prices is a nationwide movement that is growing each day, from the nation's capital to state capitals. Governor Lombardo can help Nevada join states like Ohio and Oklahoma that each enacted similar bills this year codifying President Trump's price transparency rule to put patients first. We strongly encourage Governor Lombardo to seize the opportunity at hand and sign A.B. 343." About PRA (PRA) is a leading national healthcare price transparency organization dedicated to ushering in systemwide transparency through advocacy, testimony, media, legal research, and grassroots campaigns. PRA believes that the availability and visibility of actual, upfront healthcare prices will greatly lower costs for patients and employers through a functional, competitive healthcare marketplace. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Patient Rights Advocate Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
