Parliamentary Paralysis; Holding Hanging; ‘Rough’ Rijiju
Opinion Watch
Parliamentary Paralysis
The Asian Age has said in an Editorial that it’s the responsibility of the government to ensure that Parliament functions. The daily also said that “no one is willing to budge” after the attempts of the presiding officers to broker peace between the Treasury and Opposition benches came cropper.
The daily has also stressed that worrisome is the fact that it’s the Treasury benches which are stalling the proceedings of the two Houses of Parliament. It also claimed that Hindenburg Report on Adani is gaining traction among the constituents which may impact poll prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party as a possible reason for the government disrupting Parliament.
Budget session of Parliament may be adjourned sine die in a few days. The conduct of the presiding officers in granting freedom to ministers to level allegations against Rahul Gandhi and denying him opportunity to respond sums up utter chaos in Parliament.
Holding Hanging
The Supreme Court is weighing if hanging should be the instrument of execution. The Hindu in an Editorial after examining execution options such as hanging, electrocution, gas chamber called for abolition of death sentence altogether, arguing that debating the mode of execution only deepens the moral dilemma of (the state) taking life.
The Chennai-based daily revisited the issue of death sentence – Bachan Singh versus state of Punjab, 1980 judgment upholding capital punishment, but limiting it to rarest of the rare cases, and Deena Dayal versus Union of India and Others, 1983 judgment endorsing hanging as the instrument.
Demand for abolition of capital punishment banks on liberalism. But crimes are becoming more barbarian, with a sudden explosion of cases of human bodies found in pieces. A video purportedly with Turkish origin is doing rounds of several of the contractors shot to death for allegedly dumping tyres in the foundation of highrise buildings in place of adhering to seismic dampeners. Some barbarians indeed need to be executed.
‘Rough’ Rijiju
The Telegraph in its Editorial has called Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju’s statements made against retired judges crude. It also said that the response of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud in contrast was dignified and high on civility.
The Kolkata-based daily delved into speeches of Rijiju to conclude that criticism of the government now amounts to being anti-national. The daily wondered if the increasing stridency of the government towards the judiciary is because, Chandrachud said “there is no pressure”.
Among the Law Ministers, Rijiju may be counting rising number of adverse judgments from the apex court, the ruling on appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners being the latest. When Parliament is paralysed and executive accountability goes unchecked, the judiciary naturally has to step in.
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