The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. The famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr has been interpreted by activists the world over, insisting that the arc bends towards justice only after great struggle and sacrifice. India is witness to that struggle and sacrifice today but the real concern is different. Does the leadership running the country today possess the capacity to respond to the challenges – political, social, religious, economic or diplomatic – on a moral basis? While the constitutional basis is an ideal guide for the government to traverse the right path, the majority of people in India detest amorality more than illegality. The modern Indian nation-state was raised on Gandhian nobility; the constitution reflected that spirit through principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Gandhi used to say, “Morality is the basis of things and truth is the substance of morality.” For Gandhi, even the concept of Ramrajya meant rejection of all that is morally reprehensible. The nation suffered erosion of this value system as realpolitik spread its roots over the decades after Independence. But the political culture, vitiated by all means, couldn’t discard morality altogether. Rule of law survived despite aberrations, accountability remained a sacred principle and governments often yielded to democratic pressures. Despite being in power for around six decades, the Congress didn’t claim immunity from culpability and removed ministers and high officials if they came under the cloud of suspicion.There is tell-tale evidence of Narendra Modi’s persistent defiance of this glorious political tradition. He almost insulated himself from people’s perceptions and moral pressures. Between 2002 Gujarat riots and the stubborn defence of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, his personal trait of brazening out of every crisis stands out. The latest decision to appoint Dushyant Gautam as the governor of Sikkim despite his name cropping up in the heinous Ankita Bhandari case demonstrates his aversion to moral positioning in political battles. It is futile to indulge in whataboutery because accountability must apply to the rulers, not the opposition, first. Training the guns at the opposition is nothing but a devious design to shield the rulers.There is no scarcity of examples that place Modi in the dock. Modi embraced all the tainted leaders from opposition parties whom he publicly condemned for corruption. Even those accused of loot worth thousands of crore were lapped up. From crony capitalism to selective targeting of political rivals, Modi is never seen squirming in moral qualms. All his proclamations on the purpose of demonetisation fell through but he kept describing those who opposed that crazy decision as corrupt. His silence on genocide in Gaza and refusal to publicly condemn the horrendous Epstein saga didn’t spruce up his image.Modi never utters a word when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers or leaders are caught in serious crimes. But he hypes up even flimsy issue when opposition leaders are involved. He also never opposes political defections or framing of innocent citizens in false charges.Also read: Backstory: It’s a Terrible Time to be a Journalist in Modi’s IndiaHe makes a lot of noise when he is abused but never hesitates in defaming others. He talked of “cultural shock” when girls abused him but didn’t open his mouth at the epidemic of social media trolls abusing everybody who questioned his government. He tried every trick to prevent the opposition from speaking the truth in parliament and used the mainstream media to spread false propaganda. Doesn’t that show an acute moral crisis at least the prime minister of India shouldn’t suffer from? These questions arise when critics, political opponents and parents of the victim, Ankita Bhandari, accuse him of shielding his colleague, Dushyant Gautam, from legal consequences by sending him to the Raj Bhawan. That poor girl was murdered for resisting sexual exploitation. A BJP leader revealed the VIP who she was being pressurised to entertain was none other than Gautam. That allegation may be false. But why shield such a discredited person when a CBI enquiry is going on? Modi, who is facing the charge of hijacking democracy through a compromised Election Commission (EC), should have been cautious at this critical stage. It becomes a national concern when the prime minister’s morality comes into question.Media disunityA section of journalists are advocating media unity in these difficult times as the “godi and independent media” divide will only weaken the institution. The perception that the belief or utterances of some journalists create this divide reveals a superficial understanding of the crisis in the media. A section of journalists chose to act as agents of power, blatantly violating the ethics and purpose of journalism. They created the divide and cemented the separation wall through their sustained sycophancy and shamelessness. In fact, the rot has spread so deep and wide that describing those media employees as journalists looks like a crime.Defending the government is a lesser crime; even public relations agencies and hired propagandists can do that. What has happened in India is unique – these people, particularly TV anchors, misused the public trust to demonise opposition leaders and spread communal poison in the society. Their ceaseless efforts to aid the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-BJP (RSS-BJP) anti-intellect project have created a dangerous situation in the country, subverting the citizens’ creative energies and the nation’s collective purpose. It won’t be easy to purge the mind of a section of Indians who have internalised bogus propaganda of Hindus facing existential threat from Muslims. These TV anchors went so far as to brand key opposition leaders as anti-national and pro-Muslim, as if adherence to secular democracy is a crime in itself.Also read: Sowing Hope Under a State of Siege: Illustrations From Delhi’s October ProtestMedia debates are so abhorrent that a growing number of people have shifted to alternative sources of news. The space that independent journalists carved out for themselves on Youtube and the emergence of digital platforms are the outcome of the mayhem in the mainstream media. The divide is not between two groups of journalists. The divide is between journalists and sharp-shooters of the undemocratic cabal. The divide is between moral precept and moral turpitude. The divide is between two sets of warriors – one, who chose to become the shield of power; and the other who remained the voice of the people. The divide is between justice and injustice, truth and lies. That divide is eternal. That divide is widening every day. That divide is advertised through language, themes, narratives and silences. When news channels hype up falsehood like Rahul Gandhi pushing a pregnant woman and ignore brutal assault on protesting boys, girls and transpersons, that divide becomes visible to the audience. When TV anchors see a sinister plan to create anarchy by protesters and refuse to explain that the constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest, that divide screams reaching every sensible viewer in and outside the country. Divides are not bridged by appeals and deceitful posturing; only change of heart and behaviour will bring unity of purpose.Lies and distortionsThe BJP has argued that the Congress has been losing elections because of bad politics and ineffective leadership but is now trying to find an excuse by laying the entire blame on the EC. Apart from the spokespersons, senior leaders like Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah propagated this theory, targeting Rahul Gandhi for creating a false impression about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Even the mainstream media lapped up this theme, reeling out details of Congress party’s pre-SIR defeats. The fact that the Congress got weakened over the decades and lost successive elections is not open to dispute. But that does not justify what’s happening in the EC for the last few years. Any unlawful or discriminatory mischief by the EC is an intolerable crime, no matter the opposing parties are weak or strong.Fair and independent functioning of the EC is a constitutional imperative. No CEC is expected to work like the commander-in-chief of the ruling party. The BJP’s allegations about what the Congress did in the past do not give them the license to commit crimes. Millions of illegal deletions and additions using a centralised system is a fact. Selective targeting of voters, fake and duplicate voters, Gyanesh Kumar’s unilateral functioning and blatant violations of model code of conduct (MCC) are not imaginary accusations.Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday (October 16) that problems can be resolved through dialogue but the Congress is spreading anarchy by resorting to violent methods. There are several lies in his assertion. While the government or the commission never invited opposition parties for a constructive dialogue, neither the opposition parties, nor the students have so far resorted to violence. It is the government that tried to crush the movement through coercive measures and police force. Violence and undemocratic means have been used by the government, not the protesters.The BJP and the Modi government are making a hue and cry about the “regime change” plan, insisting that reforming EC is not the aim of the protesters. Protests started because the Modi government showed no interest in addressing the concerns about electoral integrity for the last two years after Rahul Gandhi raised the question of ‘vote chori (theft)’. It is natural for the opposition parties and activists to talk about “regime change” if they believe the government is subverting democracy by capturing the commission. No opponent or critic will pray for the survival of the government under such circumstances.Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.For our full coverage on the SIR and the issues it has brought to citizens, click here.