From the Urdu Press: ‘Not Atiq’s murder alone, murder of rule of law… In UP, only language of power’

SIASAT

Referring to the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed in the glare of live TV cameras while they were in police custody, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its April 17 editorial headlined “Atiq ka nahin, qanoon ka qatl (Murder of not only Atiq but also law)”, writes that eventually the incident that was being apprehended did happen, just two days after the UP Police had gunned down his 19-year-old son Asad along with his aide Ghulam Hussain in an encounter in Jhansi.

“The manner in which UP has been turned into a state marked with gun culture is unfortunate, condemnable and unlawful,” it says, charging that the rule of law has been tottering there with “everyone, whether it is criminals, police or administration, having got habituated to the language of power”. “Courts are ignored, extra-judicial killings are taking place, bulldozers are rolled out to demolish homes, targeted killings are carried out in the name of eliminating crimes.”

The daily notes that just when demands were being made for a probe into the encounter of Asad and Ghulam, Atiq and Ashraf were killed by three shooters on live TV while they were accompanied by a dozen police personnel. “There is a cloud of suspicion. This cannot be an ordinary crime. Atiq’s murder is in fact murder of law in UP. The role played by the custodians of law in this incident raises questions over their duty. It is imperative that there is an impartial probe into the role of police,” it says.

The editorial points out that both Atiq and Ashraf were expressing concerns about a threat to their lives and that Atiq had even approached the Supreme Court to seek protection for himself and his family. It says several questions have arisen out of their killing: “Why were they taken out of police station at night for medical check-up, why were doctors not called there instead, why were they approaching the hospital on foot….“ The edit states that the circumstances of the killing reinforce suspicions about this being a “planned and organised” operation. The killing is a sign of the “rule of lawlessness” in UP, it charges, calling for an inquiry into this entire episode under the apex court’s supervision so that “the faces of those involved in executing or plotting it could be exposed and given exemplary punishment”.

ROZNAMA RASHTRIYA SAHARA

Referring to the efforts being made by several Opposition parties to bring about Opposition unity, the multi-edition Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, in its editorial on April 13, says that reeling under challenging circumstances, a significant section of democratic forces are engaged in the quest for a collective Opposition front that could have the heft to lock horns with the ruling BJP while steering clear of any internal contradictions.

“However, the country’s current political scenario does not seem to be conducive for the emergence of such a united Opposition front,” the editorial states, citing the examples of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and her Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao or KCR, who had been, it says, at the forefront of these attempts some time ago but appear to be avoiding the exercise now. Mamata even announced her intention of going solo in the polls, it says. “If the scenario remains the same, then the 2024 Lok Sabha elections rather than ushering in any change would only see the BJP retaining power for yet another term.”

The daily notes that the Congress has started reaching out to like-minded parties in a bid to create a broadbased Opposition front against the Narendra Modi-led BJP dispensation. JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to deliberate on ways and means of fostering Opposition unity, following which they described their initiative as “historic”. Rahul said the country is witnessing an ideological battle in which the Opposition will together stand against the BJP. Kharge and Nitish said they will try to bring together as many parties as possible and then move forward unitedly to challenge the BJP.

The editorial says Nitish claimed that he was not in the prime ministerial race and that the Congress should be the Opposition’s pivot in the 2024 polls. “The Opposition leaders’ ambition to become the PM candidate is the biggest hurdle in the way of their unity. The leaders of virtually all region parties have this aspiration, whether it is NCP chief Sharad Pawar or Mamata or KCR, even though they have never expressly declared their wish,” it says, adding that their consequent reluctance to give the Congress the pivot’s role has derailed all the moves for Opposition unity so far.

There are however signs now that the fresh unity exercise might achieve a breakthrough in a year that will see a dress-rehearsal for the 2024 elections in the form of elections in several key states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the edit says. For the sake of Opposition unity Pawar has also changed his stance opposing the JPC probe into the Adani affair, it notes. “It is incumbent on the Congress and leaders like Mamata, KCR and BSP chief Mayawati to bridge their chasms for the sake of a strong and united Opposition so that their battle against the BJP could be meaningful.”

SIASAT

Commenting on the CBI’s summons to Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal for questioning over the Delhi liquor policy case, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its editorial titled “Markazi agencian kahan rukain gi (Where will central agencies stop)?”, says that Opposition leaders continue to be in the crosshairs of various central investigative agencies, adding “they are either being summoned for questioning, or booked in various cases, or arrested and sent to jail”. It says some leaders find themselves embroiled in complex legal cases, where the judicial proceedings have become a punishment for them, with the ruling BJP gaining advantage in the process.

“The list of such Opposition leaders and parties being targeted by central agencies is lengthening,” the daily says, adding that it started from RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who had been booked and jailed in various cases over the last several years, and his family members including his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi and daughters, who have been booked in different cases. There was then a move by the CBI to go after SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family including his son and party president Akhilesh Yadav, the editorial says. Recently, the agencies summoned Telangana CM KCR’s daughter K Kavitha for questioning a couple of times in the Delhi excise policy case, it notes. “And now the AAP is under their scanner. First, its minister Satyendar Jain was arrested and jailed. Then in the Delhi excise policy case Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested and jailed. And, now the agencies have reached Kejriwal’s doorstep.”

The daily states, “The key question is, do corrupt and tainted leaders only belong to the Opposition parties?Investigations must be carried out and action taken in graft cases, but it must be done impartially without making any distinction between the ruling and Opposition sides.” It charges that since the BJP took the helm of the country in 2014 the agencies have taken aim only at the Opposition leaders. “There are several BJP leaders who have been under graft cloud, but the party has kept mum on them while the agencies have let them go scot free.”

The edit says some BJP leaders like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma were targeted by the saffron party for their alleged involvement in corruption cases when they were in the Congress. Similarly, charges have recently been made that Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde had been facing the heat from central agencies when he was with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, that allegedly forced him to form his breakaway Sena faction that in collaboration with the BJP toppled the Uddhav-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. “All these raise questions over the impartial functioning of central agencies, with no one having any clue how far they will go.”