All Political Parties Have Become Thin-Skinned
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2022-05-07 16:59:26
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The Tejinderpal
Singh Bagga (Delhi BJP spokesman) arrest, interception and bringing back drama
shows how almost all political parties have become thin-skinned, care a hoot
about due process and how smaller parties spreading their wings have been quick
to adopt the bad practices of the bigger parties. India has been witness to the
misuse of draconian laws to curb dissent by all parties, more so by the BJP in
recent months when, after Section 66A of the IT Act was written down by the
Supreme Court, Section 124A of the IPC (the sedition law) and UAPA Act have
been used against those who had the 'temerity' to speak against the government.
But when parties like AAP (who profess to be 'different') start using draconian
provisions of law to move against people who allegedly make vile comments
against its supreme leader Arvind Kejriwal, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
With Delhi
police not under its jurisdiction, the way AAP used Punjab Police to move
against Bagga and arrested him from his house in Delhi was improper, although
AAP claimed that Punjab Police followed due process and had informed Delhi
Police. But later, when Delhi Police filed an FIR for kidnapping, got a warrant
from a court in Dwarka and got Haryana Police to intercept the Punjab Police
party carrying Baaga on transit remand in Kurukshetra and brought him back to
Delhi, that was also highly improper. Respect for law and due process goes for a toss
if the administrations of three states, two ruled by the BJP and one by AAP, indulge
in such machinations and games of one-upmanship.
Bagga's
crime was that he was present when a mob 'attacked' Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal's home last month. Then he criticized Kejriwal in a series of tweets. Granted
that Bagga often indulges in uncivil attack on opponents but if AAP wishes to
occupy the Congress space across the country, it will have to develop a thicker
skin and deal with such elements in a different way. If it moves against them
in the same way as the BJP (by using draconian provisions of law), it will soon
lose its claimed USP of being a 'different' party.
