Centre Vs Delhi
By Insaf
The Centre has had its way over Delhi’s Kejriwal government. The Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to replace the controversial Ordinance on transfers and postings of senior officers was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday last with the Opposition parties staging a walkout. In the debate, which lasted nearly four hours, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took every opportunity to hit out at the INDIA parties for coming together to stall the bill at calling of AAP-led Delhi government, mired in ‘scams and corruption’. The Opposition retorted it wasn’t for cobbling unity but to preserve and defend the country’s federal structure, constitution and democracy, which is under attack. While the outcome of the Bill’s passage was known, despite Kejriwal trying to get as many on board, he expressed his disgust, accusing BJP of ‘backstabbing people of national capital’ and urging them ‘not to believe anything Prime Minister Modi says.’The Bill said AAP will lead to naukarshahi — bureaucrats will exercise authority which voters have given to elected representatives!
Moreso, as the Bill overrides a Supreme Court orderwhich ruled that only Delhi’s elected government has authority over civil servants and that except for issues linked to land, police, and public order, the L-G has “no independent decision-making powers” under the Constitution. That will be history for now. But Shah insists control over services has always remained with Union government and “between 1993 to 2015, there were no fights between Delhi CM and Centre, whether it was BJP or Congress. Their purpose was to serve people of Delhi and not to get power. Things changed in 2015 when one party formed government whose motive was not to serve but to fight.” He also took potshots at Opposition saying when this Bill came up (which could break the alliance), “Manipur, democracy all was forgotten and all are sitting together in the House…Parliament has passed 9 Bills, each being very important, but none came…They don’t care about democracy, country, or public.”The debate also dealt with different concepts of federalism— cooperative or coercive or quasi— each lending their own interpretation! Confusing alright and no straight answer whether the Bill will ensure good governance.
‘Communal’ Haryana
Yatras in the country have become synonymous with communal violence. The violent clashesthat erupted in Nuh over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession on Monday last is an endorsement. And it doesn’t stop here. Six persons, including two home guards and a cleric died in the clashes, an eatery torched, shops vandalised, a mosque attacked and the communal fire even spreading to neighbouring Gurugram. While social media has played a critical role in fuelling the violence in Nuh, the Khattar administration can’t absolve itself for the lapse of not taking precautions and having a shoddy response to it. The big question doing the round is why did it not act after Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante posted on social media that he would participate in that yatra? More importantly, why didn’t it stop the yatra? Don’t administrations stop these religious yatras, which have grown by the numbers these past years? Instead of looking into the root cause, the politicians waste their energy at scoring brownie points. While the Congress has lambasted the Khattar government, the BJP has hit back claiming the clashes were ‘part of a conspiracy’ with an MLA of the Congress having made a provocative statement on the floor of the Assembly. The BJP says investigation will get to the truth. But given the politics, there may be a lot more convincing that may be required. Particularly for the families of have lost their dear ones.
ASI Survey
The Archaeological Survey of India has shown an unusual tearing hurry to get down to work. The justification perhaps would be that another temple-mosque dispute in Uttar Pradesh warrants its undivided attention and be addressed soon. On Friday 7 am, the ASI team started working under watertight security arrangementson the ‘scientific survey’ of the Gyanvapi premises in Varanasi to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a Hindu temple structure. While representatives of Hindu petitioners to the dispute were present inside the complex, members of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee chose to boycott the survey. Instead, they petitioned the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court’s order pronounced a day before upholding a Varanasi district court verdict saying the survey was “necessary in interest of justice” and “shall benefit plaintiffs and defendants alike and come in aid of the trial court to arrive at a just decision.” That is, however, debatable as the nagging fear the mosque may go the Babri masjid way persists. The Muslim side insists there’s no regard for Places of Worship Act, 1992; it may lose many more mosques and there was no similar precedent of a survey on an old structure to rely on or independent scientific advice on what methods would be or have been used in similar cases.The question is what is the guarantee that the mosque, 600 or a 1000-years-old, will not be damaged. The bigger being the end result? Predictably, its one survey which will have the nation’s attention.
Manipur Vs Rajasthan
It’s Rajasthan versus Manipur in the one-upmanship clash between the ruling and Opposition parties. Notwithstanding the mouthful that Manipur government and Centre got from the Supreme Court on Monday last, the Treasury benches in Rajya Sabha have chosen to equate the rape and murder of a young girl on Thursday last in Bhilwara district in Congress-ruled state to BJP-ruled Manipur, where “state police is incapable of investigation. They have lost control. There’s absolutely no law and order… an absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery for past two months.”Additionally, the CJI noted: “There’s no gainsaying that crimes against women are taking place in all parts. You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of country, like Manipur, on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too…” The advice fell on deaf ears for a day later the Government insisted on a discussion on the Bhilwara case under Rule 176, whereas Opposition asserted raise it at the appropriate forum— State Assembly and instead discuss Manipur under Rule 276 as demanded. One FIR against 6500 FIRs is certainly bad maths. Worse, Manipur’s tragedy will end up with people’s representatives missing the woods for the trees!
Bengal’s Gets Hotter
Going from bad to worse, is an apt description for the murky Governor-Chief Minister row in West Bengal. An ‘anti-corruption cell’ has been inaugurated by Governor Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan, evoking a strong protest by Mamata Banerjee accusing Bose of “working under BJP instructions” and trying to go beyond his “constitutionally mandated responsibilities.” The Governor rubbished the charges saying the cell would in no way infringe on the state’s turf, rather it would help the aam admi forward their complaints to competent authorities. Importantly, quoting his ‘constitutional colleague CM’s’ statement in Cooch Behar —”Do not give money to anyone. We will not allow that. If someone wants money, take his picture and send it to me,’ he said “This is precisely what we are trying to implement…to give voice to the voiceless. In the days of violence, Raj Bhavan is trying to be a friend of the unfriended poor.” To buttress his action, he reminded her when the ‘Peace Room’ was set up to address violence-related complaints from people in districts during recent panchayat polls, “there were apprehensions. We will not try to infringe on others turf. We will certainly try to confine ourselves within the Lakshman Rekha.” But according to Didi Bose has crossed it! She admits the “we had several controversies when Jagdeep Dhankhar was Governor, but he never did this.” In retrospect, a good word for the predecessor? — INFA