Kanhaiya Kumar case approval: AAP "didn't want" to be branded anti-national for life

By Anupam Pathak*
There are daily advises for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on something or other these days from supporters, and most of them seem to be living in some political dreamland when they give these advises. On the Kanhaiya Kumar case approval, we have read the official reasons (a "purely procedural matter"). Most of it is true but there is more as per my understanding.
That the approval would be given was never in question. It will be suicidal for any political party not to provide an approval in such a high profile case. I don't know what led people to believe that approval won't be given. The right place to try such a case is in court and not by a political party and get branded as anti-national for life.
Scores of AAP MLAs have successfully fought cases by Delhi Police. Additionally AAP has never blocked cases till now. Then why did they delay it?
First,it was a bit of an ego tussle. Police had filed it after three long years without any attempt to take approval in January 2019. They sent the file barely one hour before filing it in the court. That was an insult.
It was the court which forced the police to go and get Delhi government approval. So AAP also took time, stating that if police can take so much time, we are also entitled to some time. But by May, they had already done a first level check and had found it to be a weak case.
Post that, usual government indecision may have taken some time and also they were busy in many, many projects, and this wasn't really a top priority agenda for AAP. And then elections came, and people got busy with that, and definitely didn't want a new discussion point when they were solely focussed on fighting elections on their work.

AAP took time, stating that if police can take so much time, it is also entitled to some time. Meanwhile, its first level check found it to be a weak case

Then there are these questions of Bihar election prospects of Kanhaiya. First of all, AAP is not beholden to Kanhaiya to boost his electoral prospects. He has done nothing for AAP. Secondly, there were already three reminders from court to expedite decision since September. It couldn't have been put off indefinitely. Third and most important, people who are criticising this seem to have very poor understanding of politics.
People who call Kanhaiya as anti-national will continue to do so till he is cleared by court.They are not his voters. From his core voters, he will only gain sympathy due to this. He will also emerge as a fighting hero, fighting the government for these groups.
Kanhaiya is a good orator and is travelling, but he has very little organisation. Right now, he is like Raj Thackeray who drew loads of people to his rallies during Lok Sabha but came a cropper in all subsequent elections. I remember many of the people critiquing this decision now, were hailing Raj as some great politician at that time.
Kanhaiya, to have any chance, needs to align with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and post he does that, this case won't even matter. In fact, he can use it to his advantage by clubbing Union home minister Amit Shah and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal together in delaying the start of his case. I have a strong feeling he will say this during elections.
So chill, give activism some rest. It's a good decision for all.
---
Source: Author's Facebook timeline

Comments

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

Search This Blog