My Opinion

Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar have brought laurels for the country and have done India proud worldwide. They are admired by the whole nation. They have never spoken out against anyone leave alone using derogatory language. Such language against them even in jest therefore can never be tolerated. Neither can this be attributed to freedom of expression nor can this be attributed to satire or comedy. Stern action must be taken in this case so that a lesson is learnt.

For the past few days there are talks that the UP Assembly Polls could take place before schedule. The elections are scheduled for February-March but there is a possibility that UP could go to the polls in November or December though there is no official confirmation. However after having heard Modi and Rajnath Singh’s speech today such talks will gather momentum. BJP appears to have already started making preparations for the upcoming elections and appears to have also embarked on the campaign trail in UP. The very fact that HRD Minister Smriti Irani was also present to address three public meetings in Amethi is a pointer to BJP’s preparations for early elections in the State.

It is important to recognise why Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh chose Saharanpur for addressing a public rally. Behind this there is a well thought out political strategy. Saharanpur lies in the border of UP and Uttarakhand and both these state would be going to polls next year. Saharanpur would therefore be the perfect meeting ground to send out a message to both the states. Besides, the BJP’s position is somewhat weak here. Out of the seven Vidhan Sabha seats, the BSP has four seats. The BJP now wants to strengthen itself in this region. Incidentally a couple of days ago a former BSP MP joined the BJP and the party claims that in the days to come leaders from other parties will some come into their fold.

There is no denial that everyone wants the Kashmiri Pandits to return to the Valley. For 25 years after having left Kashmir, the Pandits have been literally running around from pillar to post and now when there are talks of their return everyone wants to be assured of their safety and security so that they can once again start living in Kashmir without a sense of fear. The government wants a separate colony for them where they can be rehabilitated…even though others can also stay in such colonies. However people like Yasin Malik are of the opinion that such colonisation will only make matters worse and create a rift amongst them and there would be a bigger security concern since it would make the Kashmiri Pandits more vulnerable. They should instead all be living together. I am of the opinion that instead of detaining the separatist leaders, the government should engage in talks with them. There is nothing wrong if on the contrary the government were to listen to what they have to say since it might just lead to a better solution.

Ram Jethmalani has quite rightfully pointed out that he had legally helped Amit Shah and had even supported Narendra Modi before he assumed power. But after the government formation the dynamics changed and none paid any heed to him forcing him to come out openly as one of Modi’s staunch critics. Those who know him well, are aware of the fact that Ram Jethmalani has a heart of gold especially for his friends. However if he ever falls out, then there is no turning back. At 93 years, Ram Jethmalani will be the senior most member in Rajya Sabha. His voice has still not lost its sheen and even at this age he is known for his razor-sharp mind which could perhaps put the BJP in a spot in the Upper House.

It is no secret that once upon a time the Bachchan family shared a close bond with the Nehru-Gandhi family. Amitabh Bachchan and Rajiv Gandhi were friends and it was on the Rajiv’s insistence that Amitabh joined politics and became a Member of Parliament. However the Bofors scandal changed it all and the two families drifted apart. Amitabh had even said of the Gandhis that they were the ‘kings’ and he was merely a ‘pauper’ and it was the king’s prerogative to decide on whether to continue with the friendship. With relations being embittered between the two families, the Congress has never missed an opportunity to hit out at Amitabh Bachchan. Prithviraj Chavan was literally drubbed when as the CM of Maharashtra he had invited Amitabh for the inauguration of the Worli Sea Link. Following the intervention from the party high command, the invitation was later withdrawn. Even at the Goa Film Festival the invitation to Bachchan was withdrawn. Now with the Modi government having invited him for the 2-Year anniversary, the Congress has raised the issue of the Panama Papers which is only pretext to voice opposition since this feud is not new.

There is no doubt that Eknath Khadse is a powerful man and a senior minister in the Maharashtra Government but the allegations against him are also very serious. Instead of being evasive, Eknath Khadse should face all the questions thrown at him and there should be a thorough investigation to probe all such charges. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must look into this matter seriously since he had promised the people of Maharashtra that he would ensure clean governance. If the Chief Minister chooses to remain tacit and not take action it would amount to giving a clean chit to Khadse.

Initially Digvijay Singh had repeatedly pointed out that the Batla encounter was a fake one and it somehow gave the impression that perhaps the senior congress leader’s apprehensions were not wrong and somehow Digvijay Singh must have had some extra information to corroborate his suspicions. However today Shivraj Patil, the then Home Minister cleared the air by stating the contrary. This clearly means that Digvijay Singh must have had some political motive to have insisted time and again that the encounter was a fake on.

The militant attack on the Jammu & Kashmir police is a reflection of their dejection and despair. In the past few months these militant groups have lost a sizeable number of their commanders and infiltration in the valley has also reduced. These militants who are now a disgruntled lot are in search of soft targets. The Jammu & Kashmir police who are resident Kashmiris are being targeted by these militants in an act of desperation. Fortunately the Army has assured that they would fight the militants together with the J&K police.

Veteran leaders within the Congress feel that certain decisions taken by Rahul Gandhi have cost the party dearly in these Assembly Polls however none of them have come out openly to voice their unease. Secretly most of them agree Rahul Gandhi’s decision to ally with the Left in West Bengal was a wrong move and in Assam to have not sided with Badruddin Ajmal proved heavy for the party. His decisions like not giving enough time to Himanta Biswa Sarma or not paying heed to a senior leader like Vijay Bahuguna or joining protests at JNU in support of Kanhaiya Kumar or for that matter even demonstrating for Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad went against the Congress. Digvijay Singh one of the most seasoned politicians who has served his entire life for the Congress has openly come out and said that there is a need for surgery on such decisions and that the Party President Sonia Gandhi must take serious action.

What Ujjwal Nikam has said makes sense. A Pakistan court has said that Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, the masterminded of 26/11, will be charged for aiding the murders of all the 166 people who died. However Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has said this is purely a deceptive ploy by Pakistan and one should not be under any illusion that Pakistan will take real action against those involved in the attacks. Rather those involved are essentially state actors who enjoy the support of the Army and the ISI!

In the Tamil Nadu polls it was Jayalalitha’s branding that came handy. She was able to successfully ensure that ‘Brand Amma’ reaches every household. She even fulfilled her promises of cheap ration and budget clothing and ensured that commodities like washing machines are available to all. She started the Amma canteen where idli-sambar is available at only a rupee and for five rupees one can even have a filling meal. These popular schemes overshadowed the charges and accusations against her. On the other hand Karunanidhi her opponent, is 92 years old…there are disputes within his family and the party’s condition is also weak. These factors helped Jayalalitha script history in Tamil Nadu’s electoral politics.