The prime minister, it seems, has trouble with some alphabets. Consequently, he chooses not to utter them. The ghost of the ‘C’ word — China — is not yet off the back of Narendra Modi but he is already being haunted by the ‘A’ word. Characteristically, in his speeches in both Houses of Parliament as part of the reply to the motion of thanks on the presidential address, Mr Modi attempted to deflect attention from the questions raised by members of the Opposition concerning his alleged proximity to the embattled Gautam Adani. What was notable in this was the willingness of the prime minister — is he not the strongman he projects himself to be? — to play the victim. This, though, is not surprising. Mr Modi has profited from whipping up public sentiment whenever he has found himself in a difficult corner. He would be hoping that the ploy would work, once again. What was also discernible from the prime minister’s rebuttal was his arrogance. Mr Modi argued that none of the charges hurled at him by his opponents matters because he apparently enjoys the protection of the trust of the people. This may be an exercise in vanity. But it also opens up an intriguing — discomfiting — line of thought. Does a brute electoral mandate — the prime minister, undoubtedly, is a popular leader — help make politicians irreproachable and unaccountable? If this were to be the case, it would spell doom for democracy. This is because populist leaders would then lie beyond the scope of scrutiny and even institutional checks and balances. This, arguably, is the moment when a democracy transitions into an autocracy. Has India already made this transition?

The Opposition is justified in demanding explanations on account of the controversy that has engulfed the Adani Group. It is raising its voice inside the House. But there is also a battle to be waged outside Parliament. The public response to a myriad charges against the prime minister has been tepid in the last few years. In fact, Mr Modi’s confidence in his ‘protective shield’ may stem from this unalloyed support from large segments of the electorate. An unimaginative Opposition has repeatedly failed to earn political dividends from such campaigns in earlier instances. It must find novel ways of engaging with the people to make a difference on this occasion.