Goof-ups and Refusal to Face the Reality

The last few days have caused considerable embarassment to the Union Government and the Congress party.

First came the blunder in including terror accused Wazhul Kamar Khan alies Murtaza Choudhary (he was allegedly involved in the 2003 Mulund blasts) in the list of 50 most-wanted fugitives that India had handed over to Pakistan (despite the fact that Khan was actually in this country and living in the densely populated Thane sub-city of Mumbai for years). The report in a newspaper revealing this episode set off a blame-game before the Home Secretary and then the Union Home Minister took full “responsibility” for the “mistake” while explaining Khan’s name in the list was the result of a “genuine error” by the Mumbai Police and “oversight” by the Intelligence Bureau. This does adversely effect the “credibility of India’s claim that persons accused of terror acts were hiding or find shelter in Pakisdtan” besides making the “Indian security agencies look a touch ameaturish and Indian claims undercooked”, as underlined by The Times of India. No wonder Pakistan will take full advantage of this goof-up. And why not?

Then one was witness to Rahul Gandhi making statements in public on police atrocities against those farmers protesting land acquisition in Greater NOIDA, UP (which were definitely verified), but in the same breath speaking of several fatalities and rapes that went unreported. The last claim of unreported fatalities and rapes could not be substantiated, leading one newspaper to raise a pertinent query:

Is it not irresponsible for a senior public figure, an MP who stands high in the Congress hierarchy, to bring into the public domain claims... he is unable to back up? (The Indian Express, May 19)

Finally came Karnataka Governor H.R. Bharadwaj’s renewed call for President’s Rule in the State relying on the numbers in the State Assembly and a Supreme Court ruling. The SC reinstated 11 rebel BJP MLAs and five Independents disqualified by the Karnataka High Court last year before a floor test ordered by Bharadwaj. With the rebel MLAs reinstated, the Governor claimed they were not BJP and the CM was running a minority government, the basis for his suggestion of President’s Rule. But this was a total distortion of the reality: 10 of the BJP rebels having returned to the party fold, B.S. Yeddyurappa still has a majority in the House.

The Centre has aptly rejected Bharadwaj’s plea or else it would have had to face the music as both legally and constitutionally the Governor was on sticky wicket. The Governor needs to be reined in and the demand for his recall has been raised from various quarters. Even if Bharadwaj has lately undergone a somersault, the CM, unimpressed, is still gunning for his removal.

Meanwhile the Left leaders continue to be in a state of shock after the stunning blow they received at the hands of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. It needs to be underlined that this is the first time since the formation of the party in 1964 the CPM has lost so heavily in the State—its 1972 defeat was attributed to “massive rigging” by the Congress and its allies, but this time the CPM was unable to find any such pretext for its rout so as to deflect attempts to force it to engage in honest self-criticism. Nevertheless, while the CPI leaders have been more forthcoming in offering reasons for the Left’s electoral reversal, the CPM General Secretary and his wife remain unruffled and claim they would live to fight another day. There is no effort whatsoever on their part to find the reasons for the party’s near-total alienation from the people. Such an approach would only ensure their further isolation from the masses and make their revival that much more difficult.

May 19 S.C.