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

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

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.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Unlike other revolutionaries, Hindutva icon wrote 5 mercy petitions to British masters

By Shamsul Islam* The Hindutva icon VD Savarkar of the RSS-BJP rulers of India submitted not one, two,or three but five mercy petitions to the British masters! Savarkarites argue: “There are no evidences to prove that Savarkar collaborated with the British for his release from jail. In fact, his appeal for release was a ruse. He was well aware of the political developments outside and wanted to be part of it. So he kept requesting for his release. But the British authorities did not trust him a bit” (YD Phadke, ‘A complex Hero’, "The Indian Expres"s, August 31, 2004)

Outreach programme in medical education: Band-aids for compound fractures

By Amitav Banerjee, MD* Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) of India, introduced two curricular changes in medical education, both at the undergraduate and the postgraduate levels, ostensibly to offer opportunities for quality medical education and to improve health care accessibility among the underserved rural and urban population.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Search This Blog