Skip to main content

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

TRENDING

Gujarat's high profile GIFT city 'fails to attract' funds, India's FinTech investment dips

By Rajiv Shah  While the Narendra Modi government may have gone out of the way to promote the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), sought to be developed as India’s formidable financial technology hub off the state capital Gandhinagar, just 20 km from Ahmedabad, a recent report , prepared by Tracxn Technologies suggests that neither of the two cities figure in the list of top FinTech funding receiving centres.

Why Ramdev, vaccine producing pharma companies and government are all at fault

By Colin Gonsalves*  It was perhaps Ramdev’s closeness to government which made him over-confident. According to reports he promoted a cure for Covid, thus directly contravening various provisions of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Persons convicted of such offences may not get away with a mere apology and would suffer imprisonment.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Malayalam movie Aadujeevitham: Unrealistic, disservice to pastoralists

By Rosamma Thomas*  The Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' (Goat Life), currently screening in movie theatres in Kerala, has received positive reviews and was featured also on the website of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The story is based on a 2008 novel by Benyamin, and relates the real-life story of a job-seeker from Kerala tricked into working in slave conditions in a goat farm in Saudi Arabia.

Decade long Modi rule 'undermines' people's welfare and democracy

By Ram Puniyani*  Modi has many ploys up his sleeves when it comes to propaganda. On one hand he is turning many a pronouncements of Congress in the communal direction, on the other he is claiming that whatever has been achieved during last ten years of his rule is phenomenal, but it is still a ‘trailer’ and the bigger things are in the offing as he claims to be coming to power yet again in 2024. While his admirers are ga ga about his achievements, the truth lies somewhere else.

Belgian report alleges MNC Etex responsible for asbestos pollution in Madhya Pradesh town Kymore: COP's Geneva meet

By Our Representative A comprehensive Belgian report has held MNC Etex , into construction business and one of the richest, responsible for asbestos pollution in Kymore, an industrial town in in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The report provides evidence from the ground on how Kymore’s dust even today is “annoying… it creeps into your clothes, you have to cough it”, saying “It can be deadly.”

Plagued by opportunism, adventurism, tailism, Left 'doesn't matter' in India

By Harsh Thakor*  2024 elections are starting when India appears to be on the verge of turning proto-fascist. The Hindutva saffron brigade has penetrated in every sphere of Indian life, every social order, destroying and undermining the very fabric of the Constitution.

Can universal basic income help usher in sustainable egalitarianism in India?

By Prof RR Prasad*  The ongoing debate on application of Article 39(b) in the Supreme Court on redistribution of community material resources to subserve common good and for ushering in an egalitarian society has opened new vistas wherein possible available alternative solutions could be explored.

Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy*  On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Ahmedabad's Muslim ghetto voters 'denied' right to exercise franchise?

By Tanushree Gangopadhyay*  Sections of Gujarat Muslims, with a population of 10 per cent of the State, have been allegedly denied their rights to exercise their franchise in the Juhapura area of Ahmedabad.