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Journalism of Courage
It is a moment of pause in Punjab politics. But the jailing of Parkash Singh Badal and his son on Monday in a disproportionate assets case filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau is also a moment whose meaning is not entirely clear. Is the arrest of the former chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president part of the salutary process of bringing to account an individual who has held high public office and may have abused the trust vested in him for personal gain? Or is Badal8217;s arrest in a case single-mindedly pursued by the Amarinder Singh government the climax of a bitter and bitterly personal feud? Sadly, in Punjab over the last few months it has often seemed difficult to separate the crucial issue of political corruption from the threads of political vendetta that appear to run through it.
It is especially important at this juncture, therefore, that the Amarinder Singh government should step back and be seen to let the law run its course. It is crucial that it proactively dispels suspicions that the closing legal net around Badal is a witch hunt going according to plan. Ever since the Amarinder Singh government launched its crusade against Badal and Family, there have been accusations that 8216;8216;corruption8217;8217; is only a covering slogan and a fig leaf. The onus is now on the government to show that it is not carrying out a personal attack and that it will not try to influence the processes of justice. At stake is not just the credibility of the Congress government, but also the people8217;s faith in the system8217;s commitment and ability to deal with corruption.
