Blind hatred won’t help Opposition to win 2019
, ET Bureau|
Jan 16, 2018, 08.30 AM IST
Last Friday, there was a narrative that the Supreme Court was in deep crisis and that the integrity of the institution had to be preserved. It was said irregularities were happening and if not countered would harm the functioning of democracy. The way the four Supreme Court judges presented their case before the public, it was clear that they felt this was a very serious issue that needs to be tackled with utmost seriousness and priority.
By Monday, Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said "the story was over." The 'revolt' now seems similar to ones within major political parties when senior leaders, miffed at being ill-treated or bypassed, try to score political points through selective leakages or news conferences. After a brief bout of gamesmanship, they are mollified as the party leadership/high command accommodate their requests.
If the four judges get what they want — allocation of more high-profile cases — it would be clear that they have won the first round. If status quo continues, we would know Chief Justice Dipak Misra has refused to cave in. However, public expression of disquiet and resentment of the four judges could recur as they strive to get their demands accepted. There are chances of it turning ugly, with cries of political intervention getting louder. The judiciary would then be in danger of being ripped apart as judges would be forced to choose sides, with negative consequences on its independence.
The next few weeks would also show whether the death of Justice BH Loya would play a central role in the politics of the country in the near future. At first glance, there doesn't appear to be anything sinister or suspicious about the judge's death, in 2014, following a heart attack. A magazine story claiming that the judge died under suspicious circumstances was repudiated by a leading newspaper which pointed out that the evidence supported by the magazine in support of its argument was false and not backed by anybody. A blow-by-blow account of what happened on that fateful day in 2014 has revealed nothing abnormal. However, this has not stopped assorted activists, lawyers, Lutyens intellectuals, their media sympathisers and, of course, the Opposition, from demanding an inquiry on the grounds that the death was suspicious. They allege Loya's death paved the way for the discharge of BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin encounter case and that there is a massive cover-up underway to ensure that the matter is not probed. Judge Loya's son Anuj, however, has punched holes in the narrative saying that he does not believe the death was suspicious and dismissed calls for a probe.
The Opposition's demand for a probe into Loya's death is similar to the demand for probe into the encounter that killed alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Ishrat Jahan. The UPA alleged for years that Narendra Modi was primarily responsible for killing innocent people. The fact that such a narrative did not bear fruit in the 2014 elections does not seem to deter the Congress and Modi-hating intellectuals in Lutyens.
The problem is, this is becoming a common practice in politics. Any death, even if it is natural, can be painted as suspicious due to selective use of information and partisan hyping. Remember the speculation after the death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy and more recently J Jayalalithaa, to give two examples. What is to stop BJP, if it loses power in 2019, from trying to outdo the Congress in similar dirty tricks? Politics is a battlefield, but it should be a battlefield of ideas, skill, track-record and ideology. Blind hatred will not win elections. That was the clear message of 2014.
By Monday, Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said "the story was over." The 'revolt' now seems similar to ones within major political parties when senior leaders, miffed at being ill-treated or bypassed, try to score political points through selective leakages or news conferences. After a brief bout of gamesmanship, they are mollified as the party leadership/high command accommodate their requests.
If the four judges get what they want — allocation of more high-profile cases — it would be clear that they have won the first round. If status quo continues, we would know Chief Justice Dipak Misra has refused to cave in. However, public expression of disquiet and resentment of the four judges could recur as they strive to get their demands accepted. There are chances of it turning ugly, with cries of political intervention getting louder. The judiciary would then be in danger of being ripped apart as judges would be forced to choose sides, with negative consequences on its independence.
The next few weeks would also show whether the death of Justice BH Loya would play a central role in the politics of the country in the near future. At first glance, there doesn't appear to be anything sinister or suspicious about the judge's death, in 2014, following a heart attack. A magazine story claiming that the judge died under suspicious circumstances was repudiated by a leading newspaper which pointed out that the evidence supported by the magazine in support of its argument was false and not backed by anybody. A blow-by-blow account of what happened on that fateful day in 2014 has revealed nothing abnormal. However, this has not stopped assorted activists, lawyers, Lutyens intellectuals, their media sympathisers and, of course, the Opposition, from demanding an inquiry on the grounds that the death was suspicious. They allege Loya's death paved the way for the discharge of BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin encounter case and that there is a massive cover-up underway to ensure that the matter is not probed. Judge Loya's son Anuj, however, has punched holes in the narrative saying that he does not believe the death was suspicious and dismissed calls for a probe.
The Opposition's demand for a probe into Loya's death is similar to the demand for probe into the encounter that killed alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Ishrat Jahan. The UPA alleged for years that Narendra Modi was primarily responsible for killing innocent people. The fact that such a narrative did not bear fruit in the 2014 elections does not seem to deter the Congress and Modi-hating intellectuals in Lutyens.
The problem is, this is becoming a common practice in politics. Any death, even if it is natural, can be painted as suspicious due to selective use of information and partisan hyping. Remember the speculation after the death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy and more recently J Jayalalithaa, to give two examples. What is to stop BJP, if it loses power in 2019, from trying to outdo the Congress in similar dirty tricks? Politics is a battlefield, but it should be a battlefield of ideas, skill, track-record and ideology. Blind hatred will not win elections. That was the clear message of 2014.
