Remember how school excursions simply meant an opportunity to hang with your buddies? “I’ll go if you go” was the motto, 'cuz it’s no fun if you’re in it alone.
And Smriti Irani knows that.
In an interview on Sunday, Bharat to Narendra Modi’s Ram, Smriti Irani, the Union Textile Minister, said, “The day Narendra Modi decides to hang his boots, that day I will leave Indian politics.”
This was at the second edition of Words Count, a festival of words hosted by Varsha Chordia and Sabina Sanghvi and curated by columnist Advaita Kala. And play with words, Smriti did.
Talking about whether she will be contesting from Amethi, Smriti said, “Since the event is titled Words Count, in this case, Amit Shah’s word counts.”
You can imagine this statement garnered a thunderous response.
Engaging conversation at @WordsCount2019. Punekars make every word count. pic.twitter.com/3CKJP7VIQi
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 3, 2019
She added her two bits on the Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav Mahagathbandhan news too, stating that the last time the elephant sat on the cycle, it got punctured.
Slow clap for Smriti ji and her evolved political verbiage.
Interestingly, Smriti ji also spoke about how she’s been ‘targeted’ several times, with the intention to humiliate or sexually objectify, and ultimately break her spirit. And how, in contrast, Modiji’s and the party’s faith in her when nobody else believed she could manage the HRD ministry helped boost her morale.
Yet, she’s ready to let everything go — achievements, faith bestowed on her by the party, and the possible opportunity to further the cause of women's empowerment by actually being an empowered woman in the system — just out of loyalty towards Mr Modi.
Not the party that gave her the ministry, but the man.
Perhaps then it is not a good time to remind her that Bharatiya Janata Party makes Modi, not the other way round.
Or does it?
While this unfolded in the far west of the nation, far east saw another woman politician and her interesting equation with Narendra Modi — Mamata Banerjee.
A boot was involved here too, but Mamata Di was perhaps more ready to throw it at Modiji.
Well, as they say, aim for the stars — and you will reach the CBI.
In the meantime, an old video from 2004, ostensibly of Smriti threatening to 'fast to death' until Narendra Modi quits as Gujarat CM, has resurfaced. And we're not sure if we are supposed to give it the boot?
Now,‘I will leave politics the day Narendra Modi retires,’ says Union minister Smriti IraniThen,In 2004 December the same Smriti Irani threatened to "fast unto death" until then Gujarat CM modi resigned, blaming him for BJP's electoral lossesSo, I do not take her seriously pic.twitter.com/tBrQvUTMBV
— Neha (@YourGalNeha) February 4, 2019
Will the real Smriti Irani please stand up?
Or, is this the ill-effects of the (bi)polar vortex?