My Opinion

There is no doubt that there has been an exodus in Kairana. People have left their homes due to the disorder and extortion prevalent in that area. While it is also true that the list prepared by BJP MP Hukum Singh has certain discrepancies. Names of many families who have not left Kairana feature in the list prepared by Hukum Singh. It would be completely incorrect to say that people have left owing to communal tensions. People have left owing to extortion threats from criminals in that region. Akhilesh Yadav is naturally peeved since the State’s reputation in terms of the law and order situation under the Sawajwadi rule is known to all. And it is not wrong on his part to be upset especially when he is trying hard to illustrate his Government’s achievements and has been talking about developing the State while some members in his party are trying to derail his efforts.

After 21 MLAs belonging to the Aam Admi Party face disqualification, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has questioned the illegality of appointing them as Parliamentary Secretaries since states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and some other states have also made such appointments. However it is half-truth that Arvind Kejriwal is speaking about. The states that he cites as examples, have their own Assemblies and every Assembly is within its right to make such rules and appointments. And for those states and Union Territories that are administered by the Centre, rules are different. It requires the approval of the Lt Governor for it to become a law and is then sent to the Centre. Delhi is not a state by itself and without the Lt Governor’s approval, Arvind Kejriwal has passed the amendment and sent it to the President for his approval. Arvind Kejriwal has not only indulged in a wrong doing but the manner in which he has executed it, is also wrong. The President had no other option but to reject it. Kejriwal should go by the rule book and realise that by crying foul against the Prime Minister at every instance and slinging mad at the Lt Governor will only end up ruining his own image.

Rahul Gandhi is not wrong when he pointed out that four years ago when he had raised the issue of drugs in Punjab, he had been ridiculed by the Akali leaders. Over the years it has got worse and it is now well established that the state is reeling under the problem of drugs. Villages have been wiped out and families have been ruined. Whether the Badal family is involved in the drug trade or not is debatable but there is no doubt that the state government has done little to stem this menace. With names of Akali leaders and ministers featuring amongst those involved in the racket, the Shiromani Akali Das is likely to suffer the consequences since the problem of drugs is one of the major issues in Punjab. Consequently Anurag Kashyap’s film ‘Udta Punjab’ generated enough controversy since the entire state is badly affected.

It is quite evident from their speeches how important the UP Polls are for Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. If the BJP is successful in UP then it would be a step closer to victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Modi has already kick started his election campaign in the state even though there is considerable time left for the polls. However one major problem that the BJP is faced with in UP, is who to project as the Chief Ministerial candidate since the party does not appear to have a leader of that stature. Rajnath Singh has already refused the offer, Smriti Irani does not fit into the realm of caste equations and leaders like Yogi Adityanath or Mahesh Sharma can never match up to that level whereby they could pose a formidable challenge to Mulayam Singh or Akhilesh Yadav or even Mayawati. Without doubt this is perhaps the biggest challenge for Narendra Modi in the upcoming UP Polls.

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.