Tuesday, May 12, 2015

OLD WINE IN OLD BOTTLE - JETHMALANI'S TIRADE ON BLACK MONEY ISSUE



    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:



    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




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