Debate with Mahesh Murthy - Part 2

Mahesh Murthy responded to my earlier article. His response can be found here: 

https://www.facebook.com/maheshmurthy/posts/10153736117452138 

Here is my rebuttal, published in Niti Central. 

You wrote – “What he’s done in 18 months is bring back around Rs. 3,770 crores.” And you gave a live-mint link. Now, I opened the link. There is no mention of the number 3770. What I found is this – “India brought in about Rs.2,500 crore from a three-month window that ended last month.” Incase you didn’t read the whole line, let me paste the operative part for you. “Rs. 2500 crore from a three month window”. THREE MONTHS. Not Eighteen months. So, yet another statistic that has no basis.

Another lie – “It’s the BJP in Maharashtra and elsewhere that asked for a few days of “pure veg” to pander to the “sentiments of the Gujarati Jains”.” The “ban” has been in force in some areas since the year 1964. But please, don’t allow me to get facts in the way of your argument.

I clearly mentioned, and have also added a graphic that gave you the amounts of money recovered or generated (both relate to black money and corruption). The amounts add up to nearly 3 lakh crores. My source is the Prime Minister of India’s speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. If anyone has factual retorts to what he claimed – I (and hundreds of “bhakts”) are ready to listen and debate. Perhaps you can take this up as a challenge?

You then write – “Apparently, corruption is gone.” You didn’t stop there – “Apparently, BJP’s vote share in Bihar hasn’t gone down”. “Apparently, Modi had nothing to do with the anti-beef or pro-pure-veg movement.” And more.

Did I claim so? Why should everything be an either/or argument? I gave two examples of how corruption is being tackled at lower levels. If you had specific complaints, you could have elaborated it in your first piece itself. But instead you continue to resort to same sweeping generalisations – “nothing was done in Vyapam” – If more than 2000 arrests, case being handled under the direct supervision of the courts etc amounts to “nothing being done”, then so be it. The media noise over the deaths related to this turned out to be another fiasco. I have a detailed article on Niti, with facts, but looks like you might not be interested anyway. And what is this corruption case about Gadkari? The same case that was struck down?

The initial rant of this rebuttal means nothing – because as you surely would know, I am not responsible for the kind of reactions an article will generate. So as much as you love deriding the “bhakts” (and the silly reference to Rupa Subramanya), it doesn’t add any value to your current argument.

On twitter, you also mentioned that “BJP’s mouthpiece” responded to your piece without talking about why Bihar was lost. Even here, you start your rebuttal with “The BJP rebuts my piece on its loss in Bihar”. 1 – My piece was in response to *your* article. To rue that I didn’t talk about the Bihar loss instead is a self-defeating argument. 2. Niti Central has published many pieces that talk about the loss, and the way ahead for the party. So your contention that the “mouthpiece” is not discussing the loss flies in the face of this fact. But given the tendency to ignore key facts, I see no point in furthering this line of argument.

Next let’s come to some more specific points of rebuttal of my rebuttal. You find it funny that I linked charts available on Niti Central. If you had bothered to read my article carefully, I also asked if you or your ilk has counter arguments for these. People on social media are willing to debate if you have those. But there are no counters available. Even in your rebuttal, all you claim is that this is “funny”.

My point was that we need specifics in the argument. Your claim was sweeping – “reforms are not happening”. And now, you tell us that *your* understanding of the reforms is this – Land Acquisition, GST and OROP (It’s another thing that I find it weird that you consider OROP as a reform). OROP has been delivered – so I don’t know what you mean when you say – “Even what’s happened so far on OROP is a shame compared to what was promised.” Can you please share to care a document where we can all read in detail “what was promised”?

I have made the point about GST earlier – the Congress is opposing exactly what it proposed earlier. It wants to dilute a perfectly reasonable version of GST – and then people will pounce saying the BJP got a bad version of the GST. It would be imprudent not to see through this game and give in to the Congress – a party that has been given 44 seats by the people of this country.

Land Acquisition Bill should have been handled better – a fact that the government itself agreed.

Now – my view of “reforms” differs from “your” view of reforms. Which is central to the argument I made – be specific in the arguments. Also strange if you think GST mattered to the people of Bihar when they were voting for the local elections!

And your vague understanding of Foreign policy continues to baffle me. A fellow “bhakt” Chaitanya, has explained in detail what India (and not Modi) has gained from the visits to the countries you mention. Perhaps you can read get enlightened?https://www.facebook.com/chaitanya.baacharaju/posts/10206402568236039

Once the election commission announces elections, no policy decisions can be announced. This is basics of election – 101. You really think a big decision like allowing FDI would have been taken in 2 days, and would have received the approval of the Cabinet?

Your grouse about points I have not rebutted holds little value – others have talked about the debacle. My article was to rebut the lack of facts in yours. It might sound weird to you, but it’s entirely possible that the tone of an article can be positive and also packed with lies.

PS: You still haven’t corrected the basic mathematical mistake in your initial piece.