An understanding of power dynamics, for some rulers, doesn’t originate from the Constitution or a conscience. Their mind is wired in a way that believes consolidating power is the sole objective of being in power. Their politics rests on the presumption that force is the only effective instrument to deal with any crisis. Ethics, or constitutional morality, doesn’t find space in their toolkit.It doesn’t matter that this doctrine of force is antithetical to the democratic spirit, because they have already mastered the art of fitting the engine of autocracy in the chassis of democracy.Any political observer who has studied the Narendra Modi regime over the last decade will not be surprised by the brutal eviction of Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders from outside the prime minister’s residence. Those who imagined that the prime minister will be submerged by remorse and sack education minister Dharmendra Pradhan before accepting a debate in parliament should re-examine Modi’s politics.Except the farmers movement that involved an extraordinarily big mass of many lakhs, Modi has crushed every single protest. Even during the farmers’ movement, the element of violence was not missing. Concrete barricading to prevent entry into Delhi, nails planted on roads, highways dug up, barbed wire fencing, vilification campaigns – the government used every undemocratic trick to terrorise the protesters.From the anti-CAA Shaheen Bagh movement to the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar, the government ultimately resorted to the doctrine of force. Students’ stirs in JNU, Jamia Millia and Aligarh University attracted savage repression. When people organised massive campaigns against the Gaza genocide the world over, nothing was allowed in Delhi.Even political protests were not allowed in Delhi. Congress leaders were not allowed to step out of their office to protest against price rise. When opposition MPs wanted to march from Vijay Chowk to Rashtrapati Bhavan, what they encountered was force. Even on Monday, the protesters marching to parliament could have been handled without the use of excessive force.But the larger question is different. Why were the students compelled to take out that march to parliament? The paper leak was not an isolated mishap; it was continuing for years and had acquired a scandalous dimension. The least the youth could have demanded was the resignation of the education minister.Accountability is a sacred democratic principle which Modi so ruthlessly trampled upon. It is unthinkable in democracy for the government to ignore so many people sitting on a fast for over 20 days.The first contact with the government happened on the day of the parliament march and that too did not yield any result. The next morning, the government tried to weave a false narrative that miscreants attacked police and paramilitary forces, inflicting injuries on over 100, instead of expressing regret for the brutal handling. Opposition leaders were not allowed to discuss the issue in parliament, clearly demonstrating the government’s intent to bulldoze the national outrage.The BJP is now questioning Rahul Gandhi’s decision to sit outside the prime minister’s residence, raising questions about security and propriety. What will the opposition do when constitutional methods are either disallowed or rendered ineffective? Modi should understand that unusual methods will be invented if traditional routes of enforcing accountability are choked.Both the students and opposition parties managed to attract the nation’s attention by adopting unusual ways much after the government refused to respond when normal tactics were deployed. A few years ago, Rahul Gandhi had achieved similar success by walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to convey his message to his compatriots after he discovered that normal channels of communication were captured by the rulers.The BJP tried to condemn Rahul Gandhi for not honouring the dignity of the office of the leader of opposition. Shouldn’t questions be raised about the dignity and integrity of other key institutions? What about Modi not upholding the dignity of the prime minister’s office? Transparency and accountability should be a greater concern to the prime minister than the leader of opposition.What about the dignity of the office of the Chief Election Commissioner? Does the BJP think Gyanesh Kumar’s impartiality and integrity are beyond doubt? What about the judiciary and the media? Is the BJP happy with the rot in those institutions? Or, should only the leader of opposition work within “maryada” while all other key democratic institutions can work to violate established principles and norms?If a perception develops that the Supreme Court will not do justice and the media will act as the government’s hound, the opposition will be forced to invent effective measures of communication. The Congress would not have gone to the prime minister’s residence if the prime minister led both houses of parliament in expressing regret for the violence against youth and calmed everybody by dismissing the education minister.Whoever faced any serious charges during the Manmohan Singh government, public sentiment was respected by removing the minister. Modi contemptuously rejected public sentiment on most issues, relying on one-way communication to impose his will. If he saw any resistance, he invoked the doctrine of force.The ugly sight of internationally acclaimed wrestlers being dragged on the road at Jantar Mantar explained to the world why global agencies were talking about diminishing democracy in India. The countless videos of children being mercilessly assaulted by the Delhi police and Rapid Action Force will cement the negative perceptions about the Modi regime.As if these were not bad enough, the images of the principal opposition leader being dragged and dumped into a police van are bound to compel the world to ask whether democracy is still alive in India.The doctrine of force can spread fear in society and dismantle existing structures of resistance, but it doesn’t obliterate discontent brewing in people’s hearts. What the nation witnessed on Monday was a manifestation of anger suppressed for a decade. The discontent will one day make the hearts ache. The nonsense of irrelevant issues and silly diversions will die away one day. The mist will clear, enabling the gullible masses to see what’s wrong with the system.That day, the doctrine of force will get unraveled. The bruised land of Buddha and Gandhi is yearning for a calming experience. Whoever can offer that will be embraced by the people.Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.