Round The States
New Delhi, 8 May 2021
TN, Bengal
Bashing
ECI MUST
PUT HOUSE IN ORDER
By Insaf
The authority and independence
of Nirvachan Sadan has gone down like nine pins. This round of Assembly
elections indeed has taken a huge toll on its sanctity and won’t be forgotten.
Be it the Madras High Court or the unequivocal bashing by victorious TMC in
West Bengal, the Election Commission, would be smarting like never before.
Moreso, since Thursday last, after Supreme Court refused to expunge Madras
HCremarks, which held the poll panel ‘solely responsible’ for the surge in
COVID cases in the country, observing its officials “should be put on murder charges” for “not stopping
political parties from wanton abuse of the Covid-19 protocol”
in poll rallies. Besides, its plea to restrain mediafrom reporting judicial
observations was also not upheld. This, said the court would be “retrograde”
act. Courts, it said “have to remain alive to evolving technology of media, it
is not good, if it’s restrained from reporting judicial proceedings,” as these are
“in the larger public interest”. The ECI had argued through its SLP that the
HC’s remarks were “uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory…had made
serious allegations of murder on another independent constitutional authority
(ECI) without any basis, which has ultimately dented both the institutions.” The
apex court was in disagreementhere too: “We
have to protect the judicial sanctity of the process…to make sure that High
Court judges and Chief Justices are independent to make views.” Guess, the only
option left for the ECI is to set its house in order and remember a stitch in
time saves nine. It better start preparing for 2022.
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Centre-Bengal Row
Kicks Off
Predictably, the
Centre and West Bengal pow-wow has already begun. Before even the election dust
settles in. Post-poll violence in which 16 persons died, majority as claimed by
the BJP being their cadre, has the Ministry of Home Affairs breathing down
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s neck. Governor Dhankar too expectedly hasn’t
held back and chose to offerher advice during her oath-taking ceremony on
Wednesday last, saying contain violence. 48 hours later, a 4-member team tasked
by Amit Shah to look into the reasons for violence, met Dhankar seeking a
report on law and order situation. Notwithstanding, Mamata having appealed to ‘all
political parties’ to ensure peace prevails in the State. There is some
sporadic violence after the election, she said and “We have to control that
with a strong hand. In the last two months, the administration system was run
by the Election Commission. There was some inefficiency. We have to change the
whole setup immediately.” Which she did—hitting where it hurts hard for the EC.
Within hours of assuming office, she initiated a major reshuffle in the police
and transferred 29 top police officers, mostly those shifted by EC to the
polls. But she still hasn’t replied to the MHA, despite its warning “if the
situation report is not received at once, it will be viewed seriously.” How
serious, is the question. Surely, Modi-Amit Shah team cannot be seen to be
crying over spilt milk.
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Maratha Quota Struck Down
The timing couldn’t
have been worse. In the thick of battling the pandemic, Maharashtra has to
grapple with Supreme Court striking down provisions of a state law which
provided over 50% quota to Maratha community. On Wednesday last, a five-judge
Constitutional bench said “The 50% rule…is to fulfil the objective of equality
as engrafted in Article 14 of which Articles 15 and 16 are facets… To change
the 50% limit is to have a society which is not founded on equality but based
on caste rule.” It cautioned by saying democracy is “an essential feature of
our Constitution…If reservation goes above 50% limit…it will be slippery slope,
the political pressure, make it hardly to reduce the same.” It was also firm
that data collected and tabled by clearly proves that Marathas are not
socially/educationally backward class, rather they “are dominant forward class
and in mainstream of national life”. Besides, the government hadn’t offered any
‘extra-ordinary circumstances’ to raise the quota as required! Thus, a piece of
advice for Thackeray government: Providing quota is not the only means and
method for improving welfare of backward class advancement. Instead, the State
“ought to bring other measures including providing educational facilities to
members of backward class free of cost giving concession in fee, providing
opportunities for skill development to enable the candidates from the backward
class to be self-reliant”. Importantly, it’s observation “when more people
aspire for backwardness instead of forwardness, the country itself stagnates
which situation is not in accord with constitutional objectives”, would stand
good for all States, rather the entire nation. Will are political class pay
heed and stop appeasement politics?
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New Era For DMK
Finally, he takes
over the coveted seat, has stepped into his father’s shoes, but how long it
will take him to create his own legacy, is a big question. On Friday last, DMK President
M K Stalin was sworn
in as Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister. Along with him, 33 of MLAs took oath as
ministers at the Raj Bhavan. It was a mix of youth and the experienced, with
many former ministers inducted. Following his father M Karunanidhi’s demise in
August 2018, Stalin took over the party reins. His long political career has
seen him as the party’s youth wing secretary for four decades since he was
elected in 1982; was Mayor of Chennai 1996-2011 and was Deputy Chief Minister,
2009-2011. While it’s the 6thtime the top post is from DMK since
1967 and his party managed to pull through a majority on its own, it wasn’t a
sweep as claimed of 200 seats, banking on the anti-incumbency factor, with
rival AIADMK in power these past 10 years. He and his party should thank the
AIADMK’s folly of having an alliance with the BJP, as the former’s silence on
minority issues and support of its MPs for CAA in Delhi, seemed to have
alienated its vote bank, a section of minorities. Not getting a landslide
victory undoubtedly would be a disappointment for Stalin, but he would do well
now to chart out a road for the next five years of good governance, to help him
step out of the shadows of his legendary father and AIADMK’s Late Jayalalitha.
A tall order indeed, but if there’s a will, there is a way
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Karnataka Covid Scam
BJP-ruled Karnataka must
singe with anger. It’s health care system in the Covid crisis smacks of ‘corruption’in
allotment of hospital beds and crass ‘delay in oxygen supply’which claimed 23
lives. The Yediyurappa government has had to order investigation in both cases.
The first, by crime branch after its party MP Tejasvi Surya and 2 MLAs alleged
“bribes are being taken to allocate Covid beds.” An unholy nexus of Bengaluru
municipal corporation officers, Arogya Mitras and some private agents, claimed
Surya has led to “artificial shortage” of beds. And, while patients are getting
discharged, many dying, the corporation website “at any point of the day, shows
all beds are blocked. How does this happen?” is the big question. In the 2nd
case, probe by a retired High Court judge is ordered into the tragic death of
23 persons due to alleged lack of oxygen supply in Chamarajanagar district
hospital. Its DC has blamed his Mysuru counterpart saying the tragedycould have
been averted if Mysuru had given oxygen on time. “This has been going on for a
week to 10 days now. I had also informed the Chief Secretary and district
in-charge minister and even nodal officers/team handling oxygen distribution.”His
counterpart has denied all accusations. Nevertheless, the investigations must
to expedited and theguilty be held accountable. That is the least, the
government can do for the grief-stricken families.
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Jammu BJP Brawl
All is not well in
J&K BJP. Accusations of corruption against MoS in PMO Jitender Singh by
Jammu senior leader and former MLC Vikram Randhawa has got the top brass seeing
red. State President has issued a show cause notice to Randhawa to prove his
charges or else face disciplinary action. At a press conference, Randhawa, who
is also President, Stone Crushers’ Association accused the District Mining
Officer of collecting money from the mining mafia ‘on behalf of Singh and his
personal staff based in Jammu’. He claimed the DMO had raided 14 of the 45-odd
stone crushers, including his, and slapped penalty ranging from Rs 20-25 lakh
for illegal mining, though these were registered with the UT administration. Plus,
he accused Singh of patronising the mining mafia in illegal extraction of minor
minerals from river Tawi and that both DC and SSP were too involved. Singh on
the other hand, has denied the charges outright, served a notice demanding an
unconditional apology and threatened a suit off Rs 1 crore in damages. While
the party, in damage control mode awaits Randhawa’s response, the Opposition is
clamouring for Singh’s resignation. Who will have the last laugh? ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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