Politics apart, it was agonising to read the news that PC was sent Tihar Jail and I know many people would enjoy the vicarious pleasure, on hearing this. One wonders whether BJP empowered by the massive mandate it has looks to be, to hound political opponents. Now the arrest of DK Shivkumara by ED, on the heels of the arrest of Chidambaram, doesn’t behoove a country where the rule of law is meant to be respected. Of course, I agree this is not a plea to ignore the allegations of wrong doing by influential persons but it’s a lament that laws applied towards these cases show of partisan political considerations. Neither Shivkumara nor Chidambaram would run away from the law, at the most they would have ceased their passports, or they could be kept with courts. Now it has become quite clear that the government is not averse to misusing the agencies to take revenge on political opponents and the charge that they are tools in the hands of government to go after political adversaries is not without any substance. On the other hand, the cases against members of ruling or supporters, are never pursued with the same vigour.
If targeting Shivkumara is to weaken the Congress in Karnataka, it’s most unfortunate. It is interesting that BS Yediyurappa who was arrested in land grabbing case in 2011, is the current CM of the state. For a layman like me, politics is indeed confusing dramas of power and vendetta.
It has been reported that a very senior man from the BJP is reported to have told that though the party is a formidable force, in Karnataka, there are some unfinished tasks for it to sustain power. What he had in his sight was the vast Vokkaliga dominated old Mysore region where Shivkumar held the sway. The message was more than clear that Shivkumara should either be in its fold or be demonised politically. The top BJP leaders did try to get Shivkumara into its fold knowing his ability to maneuver his party out of any difficult situation, but he must be having his own ideas, or goals. When BJP realised that getting him into the party was next to impossible, they resorted to the only possible tactic-target his financial deals and soon the ED was on his tail ensuring his arrest. Experience suggests that it’s very difficult to reform the police and wean it from its brutal ways and its standard operating procedures of seeking to please their political bosses. But it would be too early to predict what the future holds for Shivkumara -- will he rise to shatter BJP’s hopes or crumble before the might of saffron machinery?
While government goes after the opponents with vengeance, nothing is heard of Madhya Pradesh’s infamous Vyapam scandal under earlier BJP run government. Suspicions needing investigations against some of BJP’s most powerful names also seem to have been conveniently buried. The law must take its course and not the one paved by political machetes.
If targeting Shivkumara is to weaken the Congress in Karnataka, it’s most unfortunate. It is interesting that BS Yediyurappa who was arrested in land grabbing case in 2011, is the current CM of the state. For a layman like me, politics is indeed confusing dramas of power and vendetta.
It has been reported that a very senior man from the BJP is reported to have told that though the party is a formidable force, in Karnataka, there are some unfinished tasks for it to sustain power. What he had in his sight was the vast Vokkaliga dominated old Mysore region where Shivkumar held the sway. The message was more than clear that Shivkumara should either be in its fold or be demonised politically. The top BJP leaders did try to get Shivkumara into its fold knowing his ability to maneuver his party out of any difficult situation, but he must be having his own ideas, or goals. When BJP realised that getting him into the party was next to impossible, they resorted to the only possible tactic-target his financial deals and soon the ED was on his tail ensuring his arrest. Experience suggests that it’s very difficult to reform the police and wean it from its brutal ways and its standard operating procedures of seeking to please their political bosses. But it would be too early to predict what the future holds for Shivkumara -- will he rise to shatter BJP’s hopes or crumble before the might of saffron machinery?
While government goes after the opponents with vengeance, nothing is heard of Madhya Pradesh’s infamous Vyapam scandal under earlier BJP run government. Suspicions needing investigations against some of BJP’s most powerful names also seem to have been conveniently buried. The law must take its course and not the one paved by political machetes.
