Round The States

New Delhi, 22 April, 2017

UP’s Babri Trial

RAM TEMPLE GOES ON HOLD?

By Insaf

Uttar Pradesh and ruling BJP’s Ram temple promise has come into sharp focus on the national radar. The Supreme Court, on Wednesday last, put its senior party leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, L K Advani and Union Minister Uma Bharti, among others on a joint trial with ‘kar sevaks’ in the 1992 demolition case of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The three face charges, including criminal conspiracy to demolish the disputed structure, described as “crimes which shake the secular fabric of the Constitution of India”. Is there more than meets the eye, or is it just the court’s bid to complete justice in the 25-year-old case? It has ordered the judgement be delivered within two years and has chosen not to spare the CBI, accusing it of not pursuing prosecution of the alleged offenders in a joint trial and not curing technical defects. Does the case put a spanner for Advani or Joshi to think of making it Rashtrapati Bhavan, as the grape wine suggests? Will Modi use the judgement to his advantage of upholding high moral grounds by asking Uma and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, who too is booked but enjoys constitutional immunity, to put in their papers? With the trial to be conducted on a daily basis with no change in the judge until the entire trial ends, the case will keep the BJP leaders on tenterhooks no doubt, but will also make Yogi and team tread carefully on the Ram Mandir issue. In fact, the big question is whether it will be put on the backburner till 2019, if it helps the party? Time will tell. 

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Delhi’s Civic Polls

Delhi is the now the barometer to test Aam Admi Party’s popularity and whether it can stop the BJP juggernaut. Tomorrow the people will cast their vote for the municipal corporation election. Their third choice is the Congress, which if it does well would be a miracle. According to an analysis of all the three parties’ manifestos, it seems they have their best bet in wooing the house owners, other than making promises on the usual health and sanitation issues. AAP has promised to abolish ‘house tax’, the BJP assures there would be no increase and Congress says it would exempt senior citizens and those who have rented their properties, but where the MCD will get money to offer its services following loss of this revenue, they don’t say. Apparently, the vote of the rich will make all the difference as one-third of the capital’s population lives in illegal colonies and slums, which is AAPs key vote bank. But it realises it hasn’t fulfilled its promises and now seeks to us its manifesto to put a deadline to do the needful. All three offer usual sops, but who sounds more convincing will be the test. The BJP which has ruled the corporation for ten years and is confident it will retain its position. The AAP magic appears to be wearing off and this poll would be a pointer about Kejriwal government’s popularity. For both the stakes are high. Who will be the winner? 

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TN Reconciliation?

The political rumblings in Tamil Nadu between the two factions of the AIADMK may just ease. This after the ruling faction of the party under Chief Minister Palaniswami decided at a meeting on Tuesday last to dissociate with its General Secretary Sasikala, who is in jail and her nephew Deputy General Secretary Dinakaran from all party affairs. The drastic action comes following an FIR lodged against Dinakaran for trying to bribe the Election Commission to get the ‘two leaves’ symbol. The move would be welcomed by lakhs of party workers as it gives hope of reconciliation with the rebel faction led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Claiming his first victory, he said talks of merger will begin now. Will the party be able to regain its lost glory, of the Jayalalitha days, is a big question. The answer obviously lies in what agreement the two leaders come to and who eventually will hold the reins.

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West Bengal FIRs

The face-off between West Bengal and the Centre is getting bitterer. On Monday last, the ruling Trinamool Congress got a rude shock as the CBI lodged FIRs against 12 of its leaders, including ministers and MPs for alleged corruption in the infamous 2016 Narada ‘sting’ case which showed visuals of them accepting big money reportedly for favours in return. Recall, last month the Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe but the Mamata Banerjee government challenged it in the Supreme Court. The apex court, however, on March 21 gave the CBI a month to conduct a preliminary inquiry and see if there was need for an FIR. As the deadline approached, the CBI lodged an FIR under prevention of Corruption Act and IPC on criminal conspiracy. As expected, Mamata has trashed the CBI move saying it was a political game and “we will fight it politically.” How and what she’s planning, is worth a watch.

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Kashmir Conundrum

Kashmir by-election has made the Election Commission assert its authority, much to the chagrin of the Centre. Regrettably, both North Block and Nirvachan Sadan are not in sync over the timing of the by-polls in the Valley. Even though the Commission has postponed the Anantnag by-election from April 12 to May 25, following violence and a mere seven per cent polling in Srinagar on April 9, the Home Ministry sought further deferment. But the EC wouldn’t budge, leaving the Centre more peeved as it felt consultations should have been held in the first place before announcing the dates. Not duty-bound to do so, was the EC’s curt response. Be that as it may, the two are said to have buried the hatchet and agreed that adequate security arrangements be in place for the May 25^th poll. But, the big question is how will they ensure that people come out to vote and that Anantnag too doesn’t become an embarrassment? Importantly, the outcome will help to take the next decision how soon or later should the panchayat elections be held in the State.  

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Mind-boggling Rajasthan

Rajasthan’s idea of promoting NaMo is literally mind-boggling! In the latest change in curriculum for secondary and senior secondary classes in government schools, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has got included textbooks on “socially relevant schemes”, which publicise the Centre’s flagship initiatives. In fact, the textbooks dedicated to key schemes, focus largely on announcements made by Narendra Modi and asks students to “internalise each word” of his Swacch Bharat pledge. At the same time, Raje has ensured her governance is not left out and included State government schemes, such as Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Yojana and Bhamashah Yojana, along with Budget highlights and Resurgent Rajasthan Investment Summit in the text books. Shockingly, other than historical facts being removed, school education is now being used to promote BJP propaganda. And then there is this lesson on Skill Development, which lists physical attributes desirable for an entrepreneur--“Good height” and “beautiful complexion,” among others. Some thought for Modi. ---INFA

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