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| Supreme Court yet again censures Congress and UPA | | Baba Ramdev Vindicated | | Rustam
JAMMU, Feb 24: The Supreme Court judgment on what happened on the night intervening June 4 and 5, 2011, at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, has evoked a mixed response, notwithstanding the fact that the apex court charged the Delhi police with unleashing a reign of senseless brutalities against peaceful unarmed followers and supporters of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, including women and children.
The Apex court in its judgment said that "it is a glaring example of trust deficit between the people governing and the people being governed"; that the police crackdown on baba Ramdev and his sleeping supporters "reflected might of the state which struck at the foundation of democracy"; that "Delhi police abused their power and fundamental rights of people were violated"; that the assembly was "lawful"; that the police, instead of using section 144 for maintaining peace, used it for disturbing peace; that there was "no emergency situation" and the police should have "exercised restraint"; that the police, instead of respecting human rights of peaceful gathering, violated them; that "criminal prosecution against police officers responsible for excessive use of force must be started" and "investigation report submitted to it within three months"; and that the "police action was arbitrary".
These observations of the Supreme Court have been appreciated by Baba Ramdev and his followers and supporters and very rightly. They have, in addition, urged the apex court to examine the role of the Congress and the Union Government in the barbarous incident that took place on that black night. These observations of the apex court could be legitimately construed as a big slap on the Home Minister under whom the Delhi police are. Nay, it could be construed as a big slap on the face of the Congress leadership and the insensitive and inhuman Congress-dominated UPA Government.
As for Baba Ramdev's lawyer Ram Jethmalani, he has hailed the judgment as the Baba's "complete victory" and as stringent indictment of the Congress-led UPA Government. He has said that it is not the police but the Union Home Minister and the UPA Government which should be held responsible for the barbarities the police perpetrated on innocent and peaceful people who had gathered at Ramlila Maidan to join the Baba's crusade against black money stashed in foreign banks.
And, it was not for the first time that the apex court censured the UPA II. The apex court has been exposing the misdeeds of the Congress government and its style of functioning for quite sometime now. It was because of the Supreme Court that a number of politicians, including a cabinet minister, and bureaucrats were put behind bar. It was the Supreme Court which blackened the Congress face beyond recognition by canceling 122 spectrum licenses, thus establishing that the involvement of the UPA Government in the 2G spectrum scam was neck-deep. The scam, according to CAG, cost the nation Rs 176,000 lakh crores. Congress leader and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said there was a "zero loss". It was because of the Supreme Court that a number of bigwigs, including Congress MP and chairman of Common Wealth Games (CWG) Suresh Kalmadi, had to be booked and arrested for their alleged involvement in the 76,000 crore scam. The fact of the matter is that the apex court's recent decisions on the functioning of the Congress-dominated UPA Government have led everyone in the country to believe that the present dispensation is the most corrupt and most insensitive dispensation India ever had post-1947.
But has disappointed Baba Ramdev and his followers and parties like the BJP was the suggestion of the apex court that the Yoga Guru was also responsible for what happened that night. The Supreme Court has noted that Baba Ramdev "failed to exercise his moral authority over his followers and his negligence contributed to the unfortunate incident", as also its direction that twenty five per cent of the compensation shall be paid by Baba Ramdev to those who suffered injuries that night. The Supreme Court has directed payment of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Rajbala who had died as a result of injuries due to police action. It has also directed a compensation of Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured and Rs 25,000 to those who sustained minor injuries.
75 per cent of the total compensation shall be paid by the government.
The BJP has even gone to the extent of criticizing the Supreme Court order on Ramdev. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said "it was very strange that the apex court was on the one hand describing the assembly at Ramlila Maidan as lawful and peaceful, but was holding Ramdev equally responsible for the episode". "If the assembly was peaceful, it was only the Delhi police which was responsible for it, so it was highly unfair to ask the yoga guru to pay 25 per cent of the compensation to the victim…The Centre (was) wholly responsible for the crackdown on the Ramdev's supporters. The police was only working under the Union Home Ministry and it was certain that the Centre should have taken stock of the situation before the police action.
It was midnight and the people were sleeping. There was absolutely no provocation. So, we do not agree with that part of the apex court judgment that Ramdev was equally responsible and should share payment of compensation. It is rather a fine on him," he added.
In fact, today's judgment has diluted the right to protest," he said.
All in all, it can be said that Baba Ramdev stands vindicated. One needs to appreciate the Supreme Court, notwithstanding its certain directions and observations which have not gone down well with the people and for right reasons. |
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