Last week, this column was regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was explained regarding Netanyahu who is trying to take over the powers of the judiciary in order to avoid being punished in corruption cases. However, this time it is regarding another friend of Modi, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump. Modi’s friend has been arrested in a case of violating election rules and paying money to a former Neel film actress to cover up sexual allegations. Trump was indicted on 34 charges in the trial held in Manhattan court. Trump is the first former US president to be arrested on criminal charges. Trump is also facing two more serious cases in Georgia and Washington DC. Trump was found guilty at the end of the investigation led by the Manhattan District Attorney. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Stormy $130,000 to keep his sexual relationship with former blue-screen actress Stormy Daniels from going public. After winning the election, Trump paid Cohen this amount in the form of attorney’s fees. Trump’s falsification of business records was found to be a crime. Trump’s arrest comes as he prepares to contest the 2024 presidential election. Naturally, the US opposition will use this as a propaganda weapon. The Democrats led by Joe Biden were able to make an unexpected breakthrough in last year’s parliamentary elections. The same week following Trump’s arrest, Trump’s Republican Party received two more setbacks. One was the narrow victory of Brandon Johnson, a black former teacher who opposes neoliberal ideas and says he wants to raise more taxes from the super-rich, in the Chicago mayoral race. He defeated Robs Paul Wallace, a supporter of Trump, by a margin of two percent of the vote. Bernie Sanders, the leader of the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which Johnson has endorsed, asked voters in Chicago, “Which side are you on?” Is it with the working people or with the speculators and millionaires? The people of Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, gave the answer that they are with the working class by electing Brandon Johnson. Another is the election of Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal and progressive thinker, as a judge in Wisconsin. Protasevics won by defeating right-wing candidate Daniel Kelly with 11 percent of the vote. Both these victories are setbacks for the far right. However, Trump is thinking how to make all these setbacks a success. Trump, who has no faith in democracy or democratic institutions, is using all the cases and arrests once morest him as an opportunity to contest for the presidency once more in 2024. As America columnist Mona Dungan of the Guardian wrote, ‘The case and the arrest are not an embarrassment or a tragedy for Trump, but a victory’. As part of that, he raised severe criticism once morest the Manhattan attorney and the judge. Trump said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was not impartial (a Democrat), Judge Juan Merch’s family was traditionally anti-Trump, his daughter worked for US Vice President Kamala Harris, and the kangaroo court action once morest him. Trump also said that the world is going to the third world war under the Biden administration. Like Netanyahu, Trump is trying to intimidate the judiciary into submission. Trump, who did not accept his defeat in the last presidential election and attacked the parliament, has a strong grudge once morest the judiciary. Our Prime Minister will be the only foreign leader who went to America and campaigned for the democracy killer Trump. On September 23, 2019, Modi participated in an election campaign event with Trump at the NRG Stadium in Houston, witnessing half a million people, and gave a speech saying ‘Abki Baar Trump Sarkar’ (this time Trump himself). Trump contested the presidential election once more in 2020 but lost to Joe Biden. Modi campaigned for Trump in violation of all diplomatic etiquette. That Trump is now arrested. Netanyahu is facing three corruption cases. The anti-democratic moves of the central government make it clear that these two right-wing leaders are guiding Modi. Modi is learning from Trump and Netanyahu by stalling Parliament, blocking free press and raising the anti-democratic slogan of opposition free India. Read on deshabhimani.com
