The Urdu Press: Reading Gujarat 2017

(Express Photo: Partha Paul)

Rashtriya Sahara, in its editorial on December 19, writes: “As the victory or defeat in Gujarat was linked with the name of the prime minister, the entire county’s eyes were fixed on the Assembly elections there. And, it was not a minor bewilderment that the BJP, fighting for a sixth term in the state, put its entire strength in the contest and yet could not completely knock the Congress out. There was a break, in its own turf, on the run of its clean sweeps in all big or small elections after 2014… This is being seen as a great success for Rahul Gandhi, in retrospect. This is because of the good performance of the Congress under his leadership in the stronghold of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah despite having faced failures continuously in the last three years. It seems the party has won despite having actually been defeated.”

Etemaad, of the Hyderabad-based Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslemeen, in its editorial on the same day, writes: “Political observers have said if the Congress had started three years ago the exercise it demonstrated through its activities during four months before the Gujarat elections, there would have been a different result… The performance of the Congress has been good, but in a democracy success alone is meaningful. Rahul Gandhi had a good opportunity to defeat the BJP. Youth leaders of different classes and social groups were with him. The people of Gujarat were fed up with the failed economic policies of the BJP. The BJP had realised this situation. Therefore, votes were attracted in the name of Hindutva. Narendra Modi secured the traditional urban vote bank by uniting it in his favour… There are apprehensions of intensification of the present campaign of hate against minorities after BJP’s success in Gujarat.”

Siasat , in an editorial on December 19, writes: “The type of verdict that the people of Gujarat have given has provided them an opportunity to escape the present problems… The people of Gujarat want change. The Congress has improved on its past position and its graph has gone up. The credit for this should go to Rahul Gandhi.”

Slipping on 2G

Siasat, on December 22, writes: “The relief given to the accused in one of Indian history’s biggest scams — the 2G scam — and their acquittal on the basis of lack of adequate evidence against them in the trial court, shows that our justice delivery system is still weak and defective… This case gives strength to apprehensions that the campaign against corruption and irregularities is merely a showpiece and there is no real truth in it… The apprehension that this court decision may have political repercussions has also been strengthened. The BJP had protested during the Congress regime against this scam and laid emphasis on making investigations effective. Now that there has been a BJP government for three-and-half years and the CBI is working under it, the agency has neither been able to present any concrete proof against the accused nor to get them convicted. This shows that the BJP has also become a victim of some hidden motivation and is not prepared to do anything without caring about its political implications and plans for the future.”

Rashtriya Sahara, in its editorial on December 22, writes: “The prime accused, A. Raja and Kanimozhi, chose to remain behind bars but they did not confess to crimes they had not committed. It showed their iron determination for truth and the real facts.”

Lalu’s conviction

Taking a political view of the conviction of RJD leader Lalu Prasad by the CBI trial court, Roznama Khabrein, in its editorial on December 25, writes: “Lalu Yadav will pay for what he has done. Time does justice with everyone. But this is a time when Lalu is needed in Bihar and for the changing politics of the country. In the present situation, the sentiments of politics of revenge have created many upheavals… Whether Lalu Yadav committed the ‘chaara’ irregularities or not, (as he himself had got the FIR against the scam filed), will be decided ultimately by the Supreme Court. But the CBI court has held him guilty and sent him to jail and there is no scope for ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.”

Inquilab, in its editorial on the same day, writes: “While Lalu Yadav showed great commitment for the country’s secular values, it was also necessary for him to keep away from irregularities and corruption and keep his overall image.”

Hindustan Express, in its editorial on December 26, writes: “With Lalu’s confinement in jail, the position of the Opposition in the 2019 election will not be very strong. If he is present in Bihar, the BJP and JD(U) will not get as many seats as they would in his absence. ”