This should prove an exciting week for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, the Supreme Court will hear the matter relating to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), whose director Alok Verma was forced on leave on the intervening night of October 23-24. The day after tomorrow, the Court will hear on the pricing of the Rafale fighter jet deal, which Congress president Rahul Gandhi has alleged is an instance of crony capitalism and corruption by Mr na khaunga na khaane doonga Modi. It is not the best of timing for the BJP, as it is the incumbent in state elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. Modi's panic is reflected in his use of the nonsensical term "Urban Maoist" at an election rally.

Verma was removed in the fall-out from a battle with special director Rakesh Asthana, an IPS officer close to Modi. Asthana, who headed the investigation into the events in Godhra leading up to the 2002 riots, was also sent on leave. When Asthana was appointed last year, Verma objected that his record was not clean. Asthana was possibly being groomed to take over after Verma retires in January 2019. Incidentally, the director is appointed by a panel comprising the PM, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of Opposition. Asthana's appointment would have been a fait accompli for the panel. Ironically, Verma's appointment was opposed by M Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress party, though technically not Leader of Opposition (since his party does not have ten per cent of the total Lok Sabha seats), but filling that role.