Nibbling at judiciary: Delhi policy freeze; Repairing Pakistan
Opinion Watch
Nibbling at judiciary
The presiding officers of legislatures meeting in Jaipur once more say Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankar firing salvos at the judiciary. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was seen in a supporting role, asking judiciary to stay within the limits of Constitution. The ‘jugalbandi’ of two presiding officers of Parliament is in sync with Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Law and Justice, who is picking up regular quarrels with judiciary.
The Asian Age in an Editorial said that the “attack of Vice President (Dhankar) on Constitution’s basic structure is regrettable. The daily has said that the coordinated attack on judiciary is now aimed at the idea of the judicial review and the power to interpret the Constitution. The government’s ire against the judiciary is for its aversion of the collegium system, which has clogged the appointment line of the judges in the higher judiciary.
Dhankar is a lawyer turned politician who made fame for attempts to cut through the Mamata Banerjee administration while he was Governor of West Bengal. His appointment as Vice President of India has widely been seen as a reward for his Kolkata assignment. He, thus, is going overboard with attacks on judiciary, which will have to shield firmly against the coordinated attacks.
Parliament has passed several laws, which have been withdrawn by government itself, including a few by way of the prime minister making the announcement on television. That demonstrates the significance of judicial review, enshrined in the basic structure of the Constitution.
Delhi policy freeze
Policy anarchy prevails in the national capital as there is a complete breakdown of working relations between Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. It becomes easier for Kejriwal government to pass the buck for visible signs of lack of governance in Delhi.
The Hindu in an Editorial has stated that the loss of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the MCD elections has added a fresh face-off between the Delhi LG and CM. The Chennai-based daily has stated that Saxena is directly issuing orders to city bureaucrats. It reminded that the LG has executive jurisdiction only on the police, land and public order. It also stated that the Supreme Court’s calls for statesmanship and wisdom by the actors have also not helped the matter. The daily called for dispelling the legal ambiguity (on governance jurisdiction).
The curse of Delhi is multiplicity of authority, and the Centre’s unwillingness to let go the control over key agencies. As long as Delhi had CMs like Sheila Dikshit, the city somehow managed. But Kejriwal is more political than any of his predecessors, which makes the prevailing freeze in policy action a perfect case of anarchy.
Repairing Pakistan
Pakistan is battling a sinking economy. Floods ravaged the country. Terrorists are eating away the vitals of the nation. Politicians, who are essentially Zamindars of the yore, have insatiable greed for corruption.
The Economic Times in an Editorial has said that Pakistan has secured pledges of support of $9 billion for efforts of reconstruction from the damages caused by the super floods. Pakistan estimates that the losses were to the tune of $30 billion. The business daily has argued that a financially unstable Pakistan would be too pliable for China, which will not be in the interest of India. The economic distress will also make the managers of Pakistan indulge in hypernational anti-India rhetoric, argued the daily.
This line of argument belongs to the past decade, for crisis or no crisis Pakistan’s existence is on the basis of the hatred for the idea of India.
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