Opinion: KCR’s public interest unfailing

Historic public meeting of BRS on January 18 will be a turning point of strong voices

By Krishank

The Constitution cannot be limited to one individual’s whims and fancies. It is an instrument which can define an institution – an institution that can bring together people, government, administration, judiciary, law enforcement agencies and the media. All have their duties to exercise and have the right to exist without undermining one another.

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The present situation in India is contradicting the conventional practice of safeguarding the Constitution where the Prime Minister announces economic policies without considering bodies like the Reserve Bank of India; Cabinet Ministers misinform Parliament, ED, CBI, I-T have been turned into political tools and Governors walk out of Assembly or hold press conferences against Chief Ministers. This is an insult to none other than the people and this largest democracy.

Interestingly, with distorted facts and orchestrated propaganda, the BJP is remote-controlling institutions for its benefit. A classic example is the MLA poaching case in Telangana. Within 24 hours of the three accused being held red-handed, the BJP rushed to court seeking a CBI inquiry.

Interestingly, the three accused were not named party in the case. Instead, the BJP chose to put the complainant MLA in the dock. While several startling facts started to tumble out, the BJP defended the big conspirator, its top leader BL Santosh, with all its might.

The BJP is smart in shifting goal posts. This is was exactly what was done by changing the narrative — from the offence of conspiring to topple people’s elected government.

Now the attempt is to put Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in the dock for exposing this dreadful modus operandi and emphasising public discourse, simultaneously requesting all responsible social institutions to analyse how ruthlessly the current party ruling the nation wants to destroy democracy.

Chandrashekhar Rao is well within his rights to hold a press conference to make the nation know about BJP’s shady and dark side. His actions have not in any way violated the Indian Evidence Act. The BJP has forgotten the Supreme Court’s views on media reporting Rafale.

When the Government of India argued that the issues concerning national security should not be out in the media, the three-judge bench, comprising then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justice KM Joseph and Justice SK Kaul, stated that it’s the government’s duty to reveal details that are in the public interest.

The Right to Information Act, 2005, mentions that a public authority may allow access to information if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests [Section 8(2)]. It is also to be noted that if evidence was admissible, it matters not how it was obtained as mentioned by the Supreme Court in State vs Navjot Sandhu.

It is understood that the BJP is attempting to counter Chandrashekhar Rao to save its face and is questioning the BRS supremo for releasing the evidence. Politically, the poaching case has become a talking point — right from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to elected representatives have cautioned against falling into BJP’s trap citing the Telangana BJP’s attempt in video-audio tapes where the accused claimed of a ‘Topple Delhi Mission’ too. The Kerala media has reported extensively after BL Santosh and Tushar Velapally’s name was doing the rounds.

It would be interesting to see the first and historic public meeting of Bharat Rashtra Samithi to be held on 18 January 2023 at Khammam which would see Arvind Kejriwal, along with his counterparts Bhagwant Singh Mann from Punjab and Pinarayi Vijayan Kerala CM as well as Uttar Pradesh opposition leader and former CM Akhilesh Yadav, on stage, hosted by Rao. This is surely going to be a turning point of strong voices and a consortium of like-minded coming together who have proven their wherewithal to stand up against Modi’s anti-people policies.

The BJP reacted in haste, mocking Chandrashekar Rao to be alone. But with Chief Ministers, former Chief Ministers and opposition leaders from different States sharing the stage with him, it will send out a strong message that the Telangana CM is not alone.

If politics of 2014 to 2023 is taken as a benchmark, many allies of the BJP have left the NDA, while on other hand, stalwarts of different States who are focusing on people’s issues have not left the ground and are all set to give a tough time in 2023 and then in 2024.

-Research Scholar, Osmania University