Blunt Butcher
Politicians always take it wrong in believing what they do actually impresses the people. They also fool themselves while believing that people are fools. Assembly elections, beginning this month in Jammu and Kashmir, have exposed the lower depths of ethics among opportunistic and power hungry politicians and their mentors, or, crudely speaking, masters.
This week has been turbulent in the State politics with Aya Rams and Gaya Rams of flopped political theatre making mockery of themselves and their parties. Equally hilarious has been the response of their embarrassed mentors or masters. When Chaman Lal Gupta walked into the Bharatiya Janata Party office here to a rousing reception and words of appreciation from Avinash Rai Khanna, Member Parliament and party incharge of Jammu and Kashmir, the gruesome fact of his expulsion over three years ago was altogether forgotten. The only thing to be remembered was-in the words of Khanna-that Gupta will be beneficial for achieving BJP’s mission +44. Gupta, along with six other legislators, was expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years on 18th November 2011 for cross voting during elections to vacant seats of Legislative Council. Jugal Kishore Sharma, the Pradesh President of the party and then Leader of BJP Legislature Party, had even approached the Speaker for disqualifying him from the membership of Legislative Assembly under the anti-defection law. The charges and counter-charges during the controversy over ‘cash for vote’ scam had brought the warring groups eyeball to eyeball situation. The matter was even dragged to Court. How come that everything stands whitewashed in a spur of moment. BJP, the so-called party with difference, seems to have become so arrogant after tasting power that public perception has lost its meaning.
On the other front, the BJP is waiting in its wings to welcome M.K Ajatshatru Singh in the party fold. He has already quit National Conference after re-embracing it again years ago following short honeymoon with Congress. It will be grand odyssey for the Maharaj Kumar from National Conference to Congress to National Conference and next halt at Bharatiya Janata Party stop. Well done!
In this season of Aya Ram Gaya Ram culture, one more important development took place when bureaucrat turned politician Sheikh Ghulam Rasool abandoned the National Conference boat and sailed to People’s Democratic Party, brooding about the indifference he got from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
What is happening here?
The tailpiece comes from Omar Abdullah who has described both Rasool and Ajat as deadwood. For political decency, he has restrained from dubbing Chaman Lal Gupta also as a deadwood. But, what is deadwood for the Chief Minister, appears to be tonic for BJP and PDP who have embraced them with open arms.
Omar Abdullah has woken up to ‘irrelevance’ of Sheikh Ghulam Rasool and Ajat Shatru Singh quite late, almost when both of them are completing their term of political rehabilitation.
In his trade mark style, Omar Abdullah has tweeted: “Never stops amazing me that opportunists like Sh Ghulam Rasool & Ajat (Ajatshatru Singh) only find fault with NC & its leadership when their terms R (are) finishing.” He goes on saying further “Thank goodness some of this deadwood my father had accumulated is clearing itself out. My only regret – two wasted MLC seats for 6 years.” They might have wasted six years while occupying the seats in the Legislative Council which otherwise could have gone to some other ‘irrelevant’ persons but what has been the cost. The voter of Jammu and Kashmir has right to seek account for every penny which has been spent on these two legislators, who according to their own assessor, have wasted six years.
Blame and counter-blames cannot work in a democracy. Mere regret by the Chief Minister is not enough. He will have to go for course correction and answer the people about follies of his ‘inept’ political colleagues. The politicians need not play smart believing they can fool the people. They can do it one time, two times but not all the times. On the contrary, they are fooling themselves. If BJP, PDP and NC believe that discarded and opportunist politicians can sail them to power, they are horribly wrong. Power rests with people who have shown it many a time that they can ultimately have their last laugh.
