Shades of Green

Avoiding any mention of the latest twist in the sordid Mahajan family saga, the latest issue of Organiser chooses to focus on the foiled terrorist attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on June 1.

Avoiding any mention of the latest twist in the sordid Mahajan family saga, the latest issue of Organiser chooses to focus on the foiled terrorist attack on the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on June 1. A detailed two-age report, statements from the RSS chief, VHP leaders and Delhi BJP, and the week’s editorial comprise the Nagpur package. However, even as the ‘‘alertness of the government machinery’’ comes in for fulsome praise from RSS sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan, the Organiser does not let go of the opportunity to slam the UPA government’s alleged softness towards ‘jehadi’ terrorists.

‘‘Every action and utterance of this government are providing succour and comfort to all variations of secession, terror and subversion,’’ says the editorial, echoing the Advani line even though terrorist attacks on sites such as the Parliament took place during NDA rule. The editorial also comes down heavily on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent assurance in Srinagar of ‘‘zero tolerance’’ of human rights violations by security forces.

‘‘This was a clear signal to jehadis of all shades of green that the Centre was out to tie the hands of the forces that fight them,’’ it says, indicating that the RSS is willing to overlook excesses by men in uniform as long as they are ostensibly engaged in fighting the ‘jehadis.’

Return of Nemesis

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PRESIDENT Kalam’s decision to return the Office of Profit bill to Parliament for reconsideration is described as a ‘‘return of nemesis’’ for the UPA government. Praising the President’s decision, writer Easwaran Nambudiri slams the UPA government for committing ‘‘one of the most blatant and shameless acts of expediency in free India’s political history’’ only in order to save MPs belonging to the Left parties. He also notes that whether the government amends the law or not in light of the President’s views, ‘‘it stands exposed again before the people of India with yet another constitutional authority questioning its unconstitutional act.’’ The article, however, is silent on an identical bill passed by the Jharkhand assembly aimed at saving the BJP-led Arjun Munda government.

‘Comrade’ Speaker

THE admonishment of former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap following the LS Privileges Committee report finding him guilty of contempt of the House provides enough ammunition to columnist Shyam Khosla to sharply attack ‘Comrade Somnath Chatterjee.’ Even if the BJP does not move a motion of no-confidence against the Speaker in the Monsoon session of Parliament, ‘‘the fact remains that the Opposition is extremely unhappy with the conduct of the Speaker in and outside the House.’’

The reasons for the BJP’s unhappiness with the Speaker, says Khosla, includes his decision to call a meeting of presiding officers of state assemblies to discuss the Supreme Court order on the Jharkhand assembly issue; his refusal to accept court notices on the MPs expulsion case; his going to the CPM office in Punjab and his inaugurating a seminar at Delhi in which ‘‘Nepalese Maoists were invited to articulate their demands.’’

He also advises the BJP to put its own house in order and unitedly take on the Speaker through a no-confidence motion on the Kashyap issue. ‘‘Is not a citizen of democratic India entitled to what he perceives to be the truth even if it hurts some person holding a high office?’’ he asks, giving a hint of the position the BJP is likely to take in the next session of the House.

—Compiled by Manini Chatterjee