Round
The States
New Delhi, 20 January
2018
Padmaavat Release
CLIMAX FOR 4 BJP STATES
By Insaf
It’s curtain-up for ‘Padmaavat’ finally. Bollywood and cinema
goers across the country can raise a toast to the Supreme Court. Amidst the
upheaval within, it has at least put an end to the fiery row over Sanjay leela
Bhansali’s magnum opus. On Thursday last, it stayed the ban imposed by four BJP-ruled
States and cleared the decks for an all-India release on January 25. States, said
its order, following a petition by the film producers, ‘are constitutionally
obliged to ensure law and order, must prevent any untoward incident during its screening
and can’t ban the film citing it as a problem...’ This, after it was told that they
had obliged the CBFC and made requisite changes. The court simply trashed the
States’ argument of history being distorted. All eyes will now be on what the four
States--Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan – do. The latter two
have promptly reacted saying though they respect the court’s decision, they
will look for legal provisions to appeal! Sadly, they continue to opt for
appeasing the fringe group, Rajput Karni Sena, which threatens that cinema
halls screening the film will be burnt down and ‘the country will break’, rather
than uphold the artistes and citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of
speech and expression. Is the climax is yet to unfold?
* * * *
Poll Fever
in N-E
The poll bugle has
been sounded in the North East. Political parties are gearing up for Assembly
elections in three States --Tripura, February 18 and Meghalaya and Nagaland on
February 27, as their terms expire on March 14, 6 and 13 respectively. The
stakes are high for the BJP in Left Front-ruled Tripura and Congress-ruled
Meghalaya. Will it be able to displace the longest serving Chief Minister Manik
Sarkar in Tripura following ‘positive’ talks of an alliance with the Indigenous
People’s Front of Tripura (IBFT), and the rise of hindutva in the region? In
Meghalaya, its fingers are crossed that more MLAs (two so far) cross over from
the Congress to the newly-formed People’s Democratic front. However, five
others resigned from the Congress and joined the National People’s Party,
suggesting that regional parties may be a force to reckon with this poll. The
United Democratic front has already forged an alliance with Hills State Peoples
Democratic Party. In Nagaland, the BJP is more at ease as it’s an ally of the
ruling Naga People’s Front and has assured of resolving the vexed Naga issue
soon. For the time being, the north-east will be on centre stage, at least for
national parties.
* * * *
Punjab’s Troubles
Punjab Congress
government has faced a double whammy. One, its Minister of Power and Irrigation
RG Singh has had to resign for his alleged involvement in multi-crore sand
mining auctions scam last year, wherein four staff members, including his cook,
had bagged mines. While Singh said he resigned only to “put an end to Opposition’s
smear campaign,” the party high command now seeks to send a message of ‘zero
tolerance towards corruption’. The other blow came from Punjab & Haryana
High Court, which set aside the appointment of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s
Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar terming the post as “extra
constitutional authority”. He had retired in 2016 as Additional Chief Secretary
but was again appointed in March for five years. A lawyer challenged this. The
retired IAS officer, noted the court, was given “overriding powers”, which may
not be possible to delegate even to a serving cadre! Worse, it was odd how the ‘State
authorised a contractual employee to exercise powers, sovereign in nature, even
for a limited period i.e. during the CM’s absence...’ Apparently, Singh had
been Amarinder’s Principal Secretary when he was CM in 2002-07. Kumar has
resigned from his post, but twice earlier the same had not been accepted. What
Amarinder does with his trusted lieutenant now is anybody’s guess.
* * * *
Haryana’s Shame
Haryana BJP-government
needs to hang its head in shame. Five cases of rape were reported from different
districts of the State—Hisar, Jind, Sonipat and Fatehbad this week alone. Four
of them were of minor girls, including a three-and-a-half-year old, and another,
a reminder of the horrific Nirbhaya case. A “hurt” Chief Minister Manohar Lal
Khattar assured ‘no one will be spared and all those involved will be behind
bars.’ At a press conference, he claimed that systems have been stepped up and
officers changed, even up to the level of IG. The so-called change obviously is
no good, and the Opposition has been quick to seek his dismissal given
“complete breakdown of law and order.’ But, trust Khattar to retort that such
cases of crime against women ‘have occurred in the past as well. I will request
the Opposition not to politicise these.’ In his defence, he is said to have
asked his team to compile figures of cases during the Congress government’s
tenure. Sadly, Khattar forgets or he doesn’t know that two wrongs don’t make a
right!
* * * *
Gujarat
Mystery
Gujarat has raised
many an eyebrow. The disappearance ‘drama’ of VHP leader Pravin Togadia would
have the BJP squirming. Togadia wanted in a 15-year-old case of flouting
prohibitory orders by the Rajasthan police was found unconscious in a park in
Ahmedabad and later admitted to a hospital. He claimed there was a conspiracy
to kill him in a police encounter under instructions from “political bosses in
Delhi”. He trained his guns also at the joint commissioner of police, Ahmedabad
crime branch saying check his cell phone ‘to see how many times he had spoken
to the Prime Minister’! The cop of course rubbished the charges, more so as
Togadia has Z-plus security. The mystery veers round talk of Togadia connecting
with the Congress. But why as the BJP has embraced hundreds of MLAs of the
Congress in UP and former ministers too? Typically, the BJP’s top brass has
maintained stoic silence. But ally Shiv Sena comes to his aid. With voices
being stifled in the past, it demands that Modi and Shah need to clarify when pro-Hindutva
people have to fear for their lives. Will they oblige? Guess it’s best to wait
for what unfolds further.
* * * *
Filmy
Political Track?
Nagging suspense in
Tamil Nadu is to come to an end partially. Actor Kamal Hassan is to start his
State tour from tomorrow to mark his political entry. In a letter to the
public, the actor has said he will announce his party’s name and the ‘guiding
principles we intend to live by’. In an obvious reference to AIADMK and DMK,
the actor aims to challenge the status quo plaguing State politics for some
time now. The wait for the people has indeed been long. But there is another
question that begs an answer. Will he be joined by superstar Rajnikanth or will
the two have different scripts? Recall, ‘Thalaivar’ too had in December-end
announced his entry into politics, after a long wait of 20-odd years. He said
he would float a party and contest all 234 of the Assembly seats. Indeed, both
want a political change as they are ‘pained’ that developments this past year
has made the State a laughing stock. Good direction is what matters in the
end.----INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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