The Narendra Modi government, during its past 12 years, has never been in a such a messy state. During the 2014 election, Modi’s main campaign plank was that the United Progressive Alliance government was in the grip of an administrative paralysis. Now his government has also been caught in a similar paralysis.It was all the more apparent for about two months following the Cockroach Janata Party and Left-led showdown in July. Nothing those days moved in the top echelons of the government. Then the Union Cabinet began acting, mostly on youth-related matters. Consider what happened to the Agniveer scheme.Four years ago, when the scheme was being launched, the pro-regime media was filled with stories extolling the need to cut the ‘flab’ in the army and virtues of the new approach. The government ruthlessly suppressed protests against the new scheme, especially in its main catchment areas of recruitment.Now scared by the Gen-Z upsurge, the regime wants to scrap the Agniveer scheme, clearly as part of the new policy of youth appeasement. Such rethinking also needs to be happening in the case of the four-year graduate scheme.The main decision of the Union Cabinet on August 20 was to intensify its outreach programme with the youth. Accordingly, one minister each will visit one university in an effort to win over the Gen Z. Ministerial colleagues were told to be active on social media as well. Education minister Prahlad Joshi, it was said, will coordinate the outreach programme. Look around the crumbling infrastructure left by the Modi government’s past 12 years. For instance, years after construction, the Darbhanga AIIMS has only its gate to speak of. In Mumbai, a newly-built highway merges dangerously from four to two lanes. Another road in Bhopal takes a severe right angle turn, making it dangerous for the vehicles. Repetitive design is the problem with Delhi’s many new buildings complexes.Haphazard growth of infrastructure claimed 202 lives and injured 441 people across 170 bridge collapses between 2021 and 2025, as per an analysis. The main reason for all this is this government’s strategy of episodic priorities to gain short-term gains.Illustration: Pariplab ChakrabortyWhere is Narendra Modi?True, Modi’s grip over the government and its administrative arms remain fairly strong. But after the youth revolts, he himself avoids decisively exercising it. Instead, much of the administrative responsibilities appear to have been left to Amit Shah. Even important announcements are being made by Shah or others in the BJP hierarchy.The normal practice for Modi from his chief minister days in Gujarat has been to do all major public functions like inaugurations and and flag offs by himself. He must flag off every new train or major railway stations physically or online. Modi’s address is the main event at the meetings of his party’s central executive and parliamentary party.Now Amit Shah, the star in the Modi hierarchy, is looking after the states affairs, including the party organisation and government administration. His latest has been to address meetings of Uttar Pradesh BJP to plan the forthcoming assembly election. Notably, it was him, not Modi, who spoke in meeting of 2,500 party workers to chart out the assembly election campaign.Shah will spearhead UP’s outreach programmes in which he will address 18 rallies, it is learnt. Modi also may address meetings in UP, but the point is who is in charge of the real management? Now, much of such events are being left to Amit Shah and a select few like party president Nitin Nabin. The latter addresses the national general secretaries and perhaps ‘alerts’ them about divisive elements acting forever on the instructions of a foreign toolkit.What is happening to the parliament?The Indian parliament remains in suspended animation. It has neither met nor prorogued for nearly three months. In the normal course, it would have been time for calling the Winter Session in November. Keeping parliament alive has been a smart move to stealthily pass the delimitation bill and such other legislation. But all such cunning calculations have collapsed due to a surge of quick political developments.First, opposition parties did not fall into Amit Shah’s trap and decided to oppose delimitation.Then the youth revolt followed by a series of local protests in educational institutions roiled the country. Suddenly, the political environment began changing. Undoubtedly, now, the Modi aura – made of his ‘miracle’ welfare schemes and several off his ‘ guarantees’ – are no more impregnable.Look at the confusion all around. Cabinet reshuffle rumours have been thick in the air for months. Speculation rises when a minister quits, including someone like Hardeep Singh Puri. Ministers are under constant fear of when the axe will fall on them. It was not so under Modi until recently, since he, as the sole boss, constantly kept a tight control on his ministers.Every decision they take has his seal of his approval. This, paradoxically, also ensures them a kind of security of tenure while making Modi directly culpable.The scamHow many of us realise that Narendra Modi’s 12 years in power has witnessed an extraordinary number and volume of government scams? Former MP Jawhar Sircar finds that frauds and corporate sharks frittered away at least Rs 12 lakh crore of the Rs 16.11 lakh crore from our banking system by way of getting them written-off.Quoting RBI and parliament answers, another study found that bank frauds had doubled in first eight years of Modi. One Indrajeet Datta in a Facebook post gave details of 82 major scams that happened under Modi from 2014 to 2026. It begins with the PNB–Nirav Modi scam involving Rs 13,578 crore, Mehul Choksi’s Rs 7,000+ crore scam and the ABG Shipyard’s Rs 22,842 crore scam, and includes the DHFL’s Rs 34,615 crore bank fraud, IL&FS financial fraud of Rs 91,000+ crore, and so on. Reports say that 38 named in bank fraud cases left India in the four years before 2020.If you want to know how the Modi regime puts pressure on the financial bodies and helps falsify data, go through this detailed report on Article 14. A case in point: On December 27 and 29, Canara Bank’s chief digital officer Vishal Bhatia repeatedly urged employees to do eight to 10 transactions each. “Folks, confirm you have done 10 transactions today,” one message said.Another message said: “RBI expecting us to do 1 lakh transactions every day. 72,000+ employees have downloaded [Canara] digital rupee [app] and want each of them [to] do at least 1–2 transactions each day and we will reach our target.” On multiple occasions, India’s banks have dished out falsified performance figures, ostensibly to satisfy the federal government.A massive financial scandal has rocked Haryana after discrepancies surfaced in government-linked accounts at IDFC First Bank. Sakshi Gupta, ICICI Bank’s relationship manager in Kota stole Rs 4.58 crore from customer accounts to invest in the stock market. Two staff members were arrested and an FIR filed in a Rs 17-crore fraud in Nainital Bank two years ago. In addition, you may wonder as to how banks dare to keep fake notes in their offices?There are also grave policy flip flops, obviously under pressure from the lobbies. Look at IDBI case. This is inevitable under a system where four crucial decisions are taken in 72 hours.Smooth sailing for fraudstersCheats and fraudsters – petty as well as big-ticket – have never had it so good. Forget the routine swindlers. Under Modi, if you support the regime, you will get protection. No one will ask questions. If you give a donation, you are possibly safer.The promise of sexual stamina drugs were used to extort 2,000 customers at a Gujarat call centre. In Maharashtra, a Rs 200 crore international forex fraud racket was busted and seven persons arrested. Mumbai Mirror has cited over 60 big and small rackets in a small area. All these are merrily happening under Modi.In the south, it is the time of ‘sting operations’. First to come out was an inter-state operation by a mysterious businessman to trap both Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. The man in Meta glasses first went to Satheesan and then to Shivakumar. Though he came for business, he talked more on psephology and other extraneous matters. Later Shivkumar cautioned his colleagues about the mysterious man. He said he had definite information that the man was trying to conduct a kind of sting operation on the ministers.The other sting operation was on Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil. Those in BJP circles allege that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut was the kingpin of the operation on behalf of the Congress. It is alleged that Rs 500 crore was handed to Patil by Raut on behalf of the Congress. The video clips on it are believed to be in two parts. The BJP has alleged that Raut produced the video clips to defame the ruling party, that Rahul Gandhi was behind it and that it was aimed at creating a rift among Eknath Shinde and Patil. There was also a demand for investigation into the incident.Raut has strongly denied it and sought an investigation in to the episode. According to him, this happened due to rifts within the ruling party. The opposition has also has asked the chief minister to hold an inquiry.Karnataka saw an even more elaborate sting operation to trap the former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, as well. The idea of the video was apparently to blame it on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and thus cause friction within the ruling party.Tailpiece: While the high and mighty admired the 12 lakh diyas at Ayodhya, poor women and kids were seen briskly collecting the left-over oil from them. Videos depicting the cynical contrast have been circulating on social media. P. Raman is a veteran journalist.In an age of fractured mandates, personality cults and transactional alliances, P. Raman brings clarity to India’s shifting political equations. With Realpolitik, the veteran journalist peers beneath the slogans and spin to reveal the power plays, spectacle, crises and insecurities driving India’s politics.