Old wine in a
very old bottle. That is how we can describe Mr. Ram Jethmalani. Supreme Court
said so, in implied language. As per Times of India online headline news this
is what they asked him. “What more did he want on black money issue?”
A
bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justices Madan B Lokur and A K Sikri told
Jethmalani that most of his demands had been acted upon either by the apex
court or the SIT headed by two retired SC judges - Justices M B Shah and Arijit
Pasayat. (sic.)
They
further blew off his arguments by asking the Attorney General thus.
However, the court asked attorney general Mukul
Rohatgi to look into the two applications, one by Jethmalani and the other by
Swamy - and file response in four weeks if the Centre so desired. (sic.)
The last wording is significant. “If so desired”!
This indirectly means that the highest court is no more interventions or repetition
of the same allegations time and again. This does not form part of the order
but even observations of Judges are significant.
It is not new for the likes of Jethmalani. Unlike
many in BJP, who stood with it in the Sun and Rain, this man shifted loyalties
as suited him. When Modi was tipped to head at least a strong coalition (many
like him wished it so), he started singing praises of Modi. Alas! He won with
great majority. There is no chance of anymore tactics that can be applied to
make him succumb to the pressures of fringe persons like him.
One point these people missed was Modi would
never have headed a loose coalition, where every other person starts
blackmailing him. Instead, he would have waited for the opportune time for the
experiment to go through the nuances and nuisances of a coalition and would
have projected himself after five years again. He is a statesman. He is not
loose cannon to shoot his mouth, but a silent worker. He knows his King,
Ministers and pawns to play at the right time.
Now, to Jethmalani’s career in politics.
He joined Politics in 1971, opposed emergency
as a Janasangh worker, joined Janata Party Government led by Morarji Desai, only
to be disliked by him for his differences with PM, then joined Vajpayee
Government in 1996 to be followed again 1999. Vajpayee never liked him for his
outbursts as a minister, but he was recommended by Advani. He floated his own
outfits for fighting all the ills, re-joined BJP only to be expelled later for
calling Gadkari names, filed defamation case on BJP for calling him names. It
reads like Aesop’s tales and the never ending Vaital stories in Chandamama. I
have no comment to make on his personal choices here. Politics is a game where
King turns pawn or can be checkmated by opposition. It is a game in which each
has his own way to play. He plays it his own way.
He has
a number of high-profile defence cases, people involved in market scams (Harshad
Mehta and Ketan Parekh), and of gangsters and
smugglers including the British citizen Daisy Angus who was acquitted of
hashish smuggling. Recently he was in the news for taking up the defence of Manu Sharma, prime accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, however, he failed to get
Manu Sharma acquitted. He is now going to be defending Lalit Modi – former IPL Chairman
and Commissioner. He defended Rajiv murderers, Indira murderers, Afzal Guru, recently
in CBI court defending Jagan Mohan Reddy and Jayalaita in bail case. He too
defended LK Advani and Amit Shah on the other side.
References:
2270800.htm
etc.,
He is a high profile lawyer, known for his
straightforward views on issues, acidic in many ways, a perennial dissenter in
politics. It is his choice to defend whom he considers, has a fit case, to
defend against the cruel arm of the state and the draconian law. No one can
question it. Political bungy jumping is the choice of individual persons. No
one question that too.
Significantly, soon after Modi took over reigns
of a strong government with a strong will, a sustained campaign was launched by
interested persons both on Media and Social Media that everything he was doing,
was wrong and would spell doom to BJP and India. And, while targeting, him his
references are as far are avoided but his ministers are attacked one by one
with help from hostile Media and a section of the Social Media, some of whom
feel, their choice should be taken while Modi is making ministry, their advice
is more important than the council of ministers and the President himself,
their Parliamentary strategy is all flawed, their Media team is spineless, such
and such minister is still talking to a particular media house, he is running
the government by proxy overruling and misguiding PM, the foreign minister is
ignored, HRD minister is uneducated, Rahul is going to demolish Modi, (he is
aggressive, no?), that Modi should have clarified on the party he clandestinely
attended (this was confirmed by a BJP
top leader on SM?), the list is endless. Never, in my career spanning forty
years as an observer of politics, so much is discussed about an individual PM.
It goes to Modi’s credit that he allowed free opinion without invoking this
right or that right. States now are free to talk on issues concerning them. CMs
of opposition ruled states get easy access to PM.
What troubles Jethamalani and his ilk then? It
is the black money issue. The Supreme Court appointed SIT is working. He could
not get this appointed during previous regimes. Yesterday, he again said
Government was not sincere in getting the black money. Then the SC told him
that whatever he wanted was happening. He did not place these facts in his
petition but only orally observed to the galleries. (Times of India Report).
What does this mean? He is not an iota more sincere than the government in
getting back the black money. By again referring to the Finance Minister by
name he only exposed his double talk. In one column he praises Modi and the
next day he speaks against his government.
Democracy is run by the elected government. It
is led by the Prime Minister on the advice of the cabinet. It is prerogative of
The PM to choose his team. If they fail he fails. The nation fails for reposing
confidence in him. Is one year not to early to judge actions of a government
when so many issues were resolved and still many in the pipeline. Is Modi so
ignorant os is being led by a dynasty queen, her coterie of an NAC, of people
that have little knowledge of political administration? And there is a
complaint that PMO is too much interfering in Ministry’s work. This was
preached to us by another economist-turned-politician-turned many things
intelligentsia, in an interview with the Devil’s advocate. Two intelligent
persons float two theories. One says PMO is too interfering and the other saying
the FM is taking decisions on his own and not keeping the PMO in the loop. This
is called free speech, a Constitutional Right!
We can tell a story here. A Brahmin carrying a
lamb was misled by four thieves who project it as a dog and ultimately the
Brahmin is convinced of the fact. But this is Modi, not the innocent Brahmin in
the story. He knows what he is doing and what he is carrying home. And even if
it were a dog he will not leave it there since no animate or inanimate object
is untouchable to him and all are equal to him, the truest secularist India
ever saw.
In fact, all this helps Modi to build his own
image once results of his actions are seen on ground. Till then, many players
in the Foot Ball Court will be kicking him like a ball till he (the ball)
reaches the goal post and he wins the game. Kick the ball more, dissidents and
aspirants for higher posts! Good Luck!
Long Live Hypocrisy!
SATYAMEVA JATATHE
**********************
No comments:
Post a Comment