New Delhi: Narendra Modi has been criticised for spending record time in election campaigning during his ten-year tenure, perforce at state expense as that is what the rules stipulate due to security reasons. The question of inadequate attention to important state affairs has arisen then too, but only in hushed terms.
But with Modi deciding to go off “to meditate” on Vivekananda Rock in Kanniyakumari, who is in charge of affairs in South Block?
Who is next in line?
As per the list of the council of ministers, issued on July 6, 2022, Rajnath Singh, the Union defence minister, is next in line in terms of seniority, after the prime minister. So technically, he should be taking charge if the prime minister is unable to discharge his duties, as he is “meditating”.
No one has been appointed as deputy prime minister by Modi. In his first term, when touring the US in September, 2014, Rajnath Singh, then the home minister, was officially deputed by Modi to handle “urgent government business”. There was a note issued to this effect.
There were no press releases issued from the PMO on May 30, the day Modi departed for his two-day (45-hour-long) retreat.
Ex-officers respond
The Wire contacted several senior officers on what the law or precedence says about PMs not being contactable, in the event of not clearly designating a number two.
- Says a former PMO official, “He [Modi] has to name acting PM since he is sole head of nuclear command”. He added, “[It is] very irresponsible for him to not appoint someone as incharge”
- A former cabinet secretary said, “The PM cannot go totally incommunicado on very urgent matters like a serious border situation with China or Pakistan. He will have to be woken up from his meditation in such an event. However routine matters can be handled by his Cabinet and senior ministers.”
- A former foreign secretary said, “There are no clear answers, but three things need to be taken into account. First, [the] government is probably running itself and doing a better job of it without ministers around, most of whom are in election mode anyway. Or at least it used to when I was in service.” But, “in the eventuality that a situation develops that perhaps calls for a prime ministerial decision, then PMO would probably take a decision on whether he needs to be disturbed and then ask for, and relay instructions.” Thirdly, “I would be very surprised if PM was ever completely incommunicado. It just does not happen.”
- A senior former officer, well-versed with the nuclear protocol, said, “For the nuclear side there is a clear line of authority and succession laid down in case PM or anyone in the chain of command is incapacitated or killed or absent. The same is true for defence. Not sure about the rest/civil side, or about the constitutional position.”
- Another former PMO official told The Wire, “Technically, no one need to be in charge; he is in meditation but not incapacitated. Nor in any kind of medical comma. It is a self-imposed isolation, and can be violated in case of an emergency.” He went on to say that “the rules of business are pretty clear. The only unpredictable situation that can happen is nuclear activity in our neighbourhood and the protocol would demand that the PM be alerted, overriding religious stipulation.”
The Rudra meditation caves in Kedarnath attracted cameramen and tourists in droves as Modi “meditated” there in 2019, but he had then spent only spent 17 hours in it on the final day of the 17th general elections. This time, it is two days.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) drew flak last time as there was no response from them to carpet coverage by media despite the model code of conduct and the silent period. This time too, despite the opposition Congress having formally complained, there is no word from ECI.
