Insaf
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar believes candidates who are 10th class pass (general category) and 8th class pass (SC category) will be more “accountable” and will not be able to use the excuse of being illiterate for poor functioning of the gram panchayat or having proxy functionaries
The unsavoury hostility between the ruling BJP and the Congress witnessed in the monsoon session of Parliament, a total washout, is far from over. The bitter and unpalatable fight — more personal (Sushma Swaraj vs Gandhi family) rather than issue-based — is going to spill over to the states.
The NDA has decided that it will target 53 constituencies of 44 Congress and nine left MPs in all parts of the country and educate the public that ‘Parliament’s paralysis without cause is not acceptable’ and worse the ‘family-ruled Congress out of power can’t see the country progress under another government’. On its part, the Congress has asked members of its youth wing to protest in ‘Chanakya style’ across the nation by taking oath after shaving their heads till the time the “corrupt BJP leaders resign”. Guess the BJP youth wing too will come up with some gimmickry to hit back. Will there be an end?
Clearly not for now. The fierce tut-tu-mein-mein during the Lok Sabha debate where family members were dragged into the debate and personal attacks were also made, is sadly being witnessed in Bihar too, with the BJP hitting out at the JD(U)-RJD combine. The Prime Minister’s DNA jibe against Nitish Kumar and back to jungle rule with Lalu Yadav has not gone down well. It has hurt the Bihari pride and the combine proposes to encash on it.
Not only has Nitish asked for ‘shabdwapsi” (take back the words), but has decided to match the onslaught. It has chosen to go for the kill by targeting Prime Minister Modi by warning the electorate that he is “the biggest threat to the country”. Modi’s campaigning style has fortunately helped the two get over a major hiccup of seat-sharing and the two have agreed to contest 100 seats each, leaving 40 for the Congress.
The combine has plans to hold a Swabhiman (self-respect) rally later this month. Perhaps parties should hold such a rally across states and introspect what and whose ‘self-respect’. Is one stooping down to ‘gutter politics’? Indeed, this Independence Day many may want to hang their heads in shame.
Gujarat Judges ‘Plot’
A PIL in the Gujarat High Court that promised action-packed drama ended in a damp squib. The outgoing Chief Justice of the High Court had set up a three-member bench to hear a suo moto PIL that has alleged irregularities in allotment of residential plots to none other but judges sitting and retired and notices were sent out. The reported ‘scam’ as claimed by two retired judges (one of whom was denied a plot) through letters to the Chief Justice relates to ‘Neetibaug Coop Housing Society’ in a posh locality. A retired judge moved the Supreme Court Wednesday last, after the Chief Justice turned down the state advocate general’s request for time to study the documents and wanted the case to begin hearing stating that he had ‘guts to do it’ and many more scams would unfold! For example he mentioned at least one wherein a sitting judge allotted the purchase of laptops worth `2.79 crore to his nephew! However, he has been stopped short with the apex court granting a stay and asking for the removal of names of the judges and issuing of notices to government and local authorities instead. There would be a sigh of relief at the involved judges’ end.
Haryana’s Grassroot Politics
The BJP government in Haryana seeks to do one better than Rajasthan. While it has put educational qualification as a must for candidates in panchayat elections like the latter, it insists that they should have a functional toilet at their residence. This apart, they should not face any criminal charges framed (and not just conviction) in the court, should not be defaulters of any cooperative banks and must have cleared their outstanding electricity dues. These amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act, passed by the Cabinet, should help improve the quality of leadership at the grassroot level, according to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He believes that candidates who are 10th class pass (general category) and 8th class pass (SC category) will be more “accountable” and will not be able to use the excuse of being illiterate for poor functioning of the gram panchayat or having proxy functionaries. Time will tell whether the move bears fruit.
UP Lokayukta
The appointment of a new Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh has got stuck again. Governor Ram Naik has shown the rulebook to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asking him to follow “proper procedure”. He has returned the file recommending Justice (retd) Ravindra Singh twice since saying that as per the UP Lokayukt Act 1975 a panel comprising the High Court Chief Justice, leader of opposition and the Chief Minister should decide on names for the post. Further, he has objected to only one name being sent instead of a panel of names as pointed out by Allahabad Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. The grapewine has it that the latter is not particularly happy with the government’s nominee. Apparently, it is said that the sitting Lokayukta NK Mehrotra was given an extension (from six to eight years, which eventually went to nine) to time it with Singh’s retirement. The latter hails from Mainpuri, Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh’s constituency. Whatever the insinuations, the big question is whether Akhilesh would get his choice of anti-corruption ombudsman or will Naik continue to play spoilsport?
Rajasthan HC Upsets Jains
Jain saints across the country are apparently outraged. The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state to abolish the practice of “Santhara” or “Sullekhana” in any form on grounds that it is akin to a suicide attempt and thus “illegal”. The practice, which is centuries old, is believed to be a form of meditation and a person who takes a vow of Santhara stops eating and even drinking water and awaits death. Human rights activists disagree. In a PIL, the practice was challenged saying the “Constitution guarantees the right to life… and that the Right to freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to public order, morality and health. A practice, however ancient, cannot be allowed to violate this right of an individual.” Agreeing with the petitioner, the court also ordered that any complaint made in this regard shall be registered as a criminal case and investigated by the police. While the activists would say three cheers to the High Court, the Jain community is upset. It threatens to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court.
Will the saints be able to put up a strong case? —INFA
