Round
The States
New Delhi, 6 March
2021
SC & Sedition Law
ABROGATE COLONIAL LAW?
By Insaf
The Supreme Court
ushers a glimmer of hope, not just in Jammu & Kashmir but across the
nation. On Wednesday last, it dismissed a petition seeking sedition charges
against former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah over his alleged remarks
after abrogation of Article 370. “The expression of a view which is a dissent
from a decision taken by the Central government itself cannot be said to be
seditious”, said the two-judge bunch, adding “there is nothing in the statement
which we find so offensive as to give a cause of action for a court to initiate
proceedings.” A fresh of breath air indeed, in this turbulent season of sedition
cases under IPC’s 124A section being merrily slapped against political
opponents, activists and journalists, by both the Centre and State governments.
The judgement must be seen in the larger context and welcomed. But will the
government join in? At least it must rethink whether this colonial legacy
should continue in 2021 in the world’s largest democracy. More so, as the apex
court’s verdict comes on the heels of observations of a trial court in Delhi.
Granting bail to 22-year-old activist Disha Ravi arrested in connection with
the Toolkit FIR, it said: “offence of sedition cannot be invoked to minister to
the wounded vanity of governments”. Need more be said.
* * * *
TN
Poll Intrigues
It’s utter confusion
for the voter in Tamil Nadu. Political equations for the ensuing Assembly
elections are like a jigsaw puzzle—three or four or more fronts will the voter
have to deal with? While political parties are thrashing out seat-sharing
formulas to keep their alliance intact, in the backdrop of new entrants in the
field, the exit of former AIADMK leader and close aide of Late Jayalalitha
(Amma), V K Sasikala from the big fight has sprung the biggest surprise. On
Wednesday last, in a two-page letter she told her followers that she was stepping
aside from politics, will pray for Amma’s ‘golden rule’ and they all must
defeat ‘evil force DMK’. The move is bound to help AIADMK-BJP partnership as it
will avoid a split in their votes. However, it has unnerved her nephew Dhinakaran,
who said he is determined that his party, AMMK form an alliance (third front)
-- with whom is yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, AIADMK-DMDK alliance is off
as the seat-sharing formula failed. On the other side, DMK-Congress partnership
is under threat as the two are so far unable to agree on an amicable
set-sharing formula. The question is will Kamal Haasan’s MNM, which is the
first to release its manifesto, focussing on women and youth, step in. The
actor has kept the suspense going of whom he shall partner with. Await the
climax in this southern thriller.
* * * *
Gujarat’s Clear Message
BJP in and Congress
out! A clear verdict that Gujarat has given in the polls held in six municipal
corporations. Reason for BJP to be buoyant as it literally swept out the
Congress, overturning the verdict of 2015, when the grand old party had swept local
body elections in rural areas, winning 23 of 31 district panchayats and 146 of
231 taluka panchayats. This time round, BJP routed it winning in all 31
district panchayats, 200-odd of 231 taluka panchayats and 75 of 81
municipalities. The saffron brigade won 800 of the 980 seats in 31 district
panchayats, while the Congress managed a poor 169 seats. The verdict must
further bring down the morale of the Congress cadres, given that churnings are
growing within the top leadership. Besides, the Patidar quota stir, led by
Hardik Patel, which had helped its victory in 2015, appears to be waning or
that it his services are not being utilised fully. While both the State PCC
chief and Leader of Opposition have resigned taking responsibility for the disaster,
is it enough? Will the Congress get cracking sooner than later on setting its
house in order as Assembly elections are due next year? It must set its eyes to
win the people’s confidence back. More so as the BJP’s flag is flying higher.
The saffron colour has enveloped not just the cities but villages too!
* * * *
Farmers’
Anti-BJP Campaign
The farmers’
agitation, which marks 100 days today, is far from losing steam. Instead,
elections in five States and UT appear to have given it good reason to go
beyond Delhi’s doorstep. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), umbrella body of protesting
farmers, has decided to up the ante against the Centre and chalked out a plan
to reach out to the voters in the interiors of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and campaign against the BJP’s ‘black farm laws’. Its
series of conventions will begin in Kolkata on Friday, where its Kisan Doots (farmers’ emissaries) will
ask farmers there to teach ‘Kisan
Virodhi’ (anti-farmer) party a lesson. The next stop will be Kerala, with
others to follow. Besides, the Morcha has decided to launch an ‘MSP Dilao
Abhiyan’ (Give MSP campaign) across the country, to highlight ‘shallowness of
Modi’s government’s MSP promise. While this begins in southern States of
Andhra, Karnataka and Telangana, on International Women’s Day (March 8) the Morcha
will observe ‘Mahila Kisan Diwas’ (Women
farmers’ Day). Have the Modi government taken a lot on its plate?
* * * *
Karnataka
Scandal
Karnataka is not in
election mode, but it can ill-afford to have a scandal impacting BJP’s prospects
elsewhere this season. On Wednesday last, a senior, influential and defiant
minister Ramesh Jarkiholi handed his resignation to Chief Minister Yediyurappa following
a video CD allegedly involving him and a young unidentified woman, a ‘sexual
harassment’ case, went on local TV channels. Though Ramesh initially refused to
as he claimed he did nothing wrong, he put in his papers on ‘moral grounds.’ Not
the real reason. It’s the BJP headquarters which tightened the screws fearing the
charge would embarrass the party in States going to polls. While it may breathe
a sigh of relief, the same cannot be said for Yediyurappa. Rumours of similar
CDs involving several other top leaders existing are doing the rounds and
worse, Ramesh and the other 3 Jarkiholi brothers are known to enjoy political
clout across their constituencies and could extract their pound of flesh-- a
ministerial post, which one of them was denied in 2019-20. Recall, Ramesh had played
a key role in 13 Congress MLAS defecting to help BJP topple the Congress-JDS
coalition. Will Yediyurappa give in? He can’t afford the boot to be on the
other foot!
* * * *
Bengal
& ECI Wrangle
West Bengal has tasted
a small victory already but with Nirvachan Sadan. Putting sharp focus on violation
of Model Code of Conduct, ruling-TMC has got the Election Commission to direct all
petrol pump dealers and other agencies on Wednesday last, to remove hoardings
advertising Centre’s schemes carrying Prime Minister Modi’s photographs from
the premises within 72 hours. It agreed it violated the code, which has come
into force after poll dates’ announcement on February 26. However, the ECI is
not showing the same urgency on TMC’s other complaint that Modi’s photos on
Covid vaccination certificates are a blatant misuse of official machinery and
must be removed. Instead, it asked Health Ministry for “factual position” -- whether
certificates were being distributed on its instructions. On the other side, the
counters saying the demand is baseless as the vaccination drive started much before
dates were announced. While the verdict is awaited, the TMC continues to put
the heat on the ECI. On Thursday last, it demanded removal of Dy Election Commissioner
in-charge of the State, accusing him of being biased against it (in Lok Sabha
polls) and breaking norms of federal structure. It fears he will ‘take steps
which will either directly or indirectly help the BJP.’ Building excuses for a
setback, is it? ---INFA
(Copyright, India News
& Feature Alliance)
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