Predictable squawks over 'Amma' verdict
The Pioneer whose BJP orientation made it look for the political benefits, did not bother to hide its joy at what this would mean for the NDA government.
And Telegraph got it just right, says DARIUS NAKHOONWALA.
You don’t say!
Darius Nakhoonwala
The High Court of Karnataka decision in the Jayalalithaa case had editorial writers squawking like surprised chickens. I read the over-written edits of the usual culprits with (as they say) a furrowed brow and a droopy heart, perchance to find something that left me wiser.
Alas, it was not to be. Conventional wisdom ruled the roost for all except the Economic Times which said it best. “The Karnataka High Court verdict setting aside former and soon-to-be Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s conviction by a trial court is good advertisement for her lawyers, but poor publicity for India’s legal system.” Touche!
The Hindu whose current Editor was threatened with jail by Amma’s government 15 years ago, and Pioneer whose BJP orientation made it look for the political benefits, were the obvious first stops for me. The former was first off the block writing a verbosedouble edit the same day; the latter held its breath for a day before holding forth.
The Hindu said the judgment “removes the taint of corruption that has marred her political reputation repeatedly over the years”. Ha, if only it was that easy.
The paper then sang a chinnabhajan: “It is an unusual feat for any politician in the country to regain her eligibility to hold the post after being unseated twice as Chief Minister. On both occasions, this was possible because a High Court intervened to reverse the conviction recorded by trial courts. In a legal sense, it is an extraordinary triumph.”
It finally got to the crux of the issue, carefully labeling itself a non-layman. “A layman is likely to be confused by the acquittal order after it appeared convincingly established that there was no genuine explanation for the maze of bank transactions…it is vital that this matter be taken to the Supreme Court for an authoritative pronouncement on the issues involved.” You bet, darling, that’s where it will be decided.
The Pioneer stopped short of breaking into a dance. “…it’s time for celebration for the AIADMK…Ms Jayalalithaa's comeback should, therefore, see the return of good governance as well. In the tenures that she has ruled the State, she has amply demonstrated administrative competence… the development agenda should now get a fresh lease of life.”
Then it got to the main point: “…Ms Jayalalithaa understands the value of close Centre-State relations, and is expected to work in tandem with the Narendra Modi Government in matters of the country's and the State's economic growth. Mr Modi and Ms Jayalalithaa have for long bonded well. This chemistry is certain to spin off benefits for the State and help the Centre in various legislative matters where it needs the numbers to sail through.”
Al-hamdulillah!
The Indian Express took off on a different track. “…the verdict raises questions about the legal framework that bars a person with a prison sentence of more than two years from being a part of electoral democracy. …a closer look at the record of our judicial system indicates that to hold a person guilty before she exhausts the various levels of redress in the judicial process is unfair.”
Oh, yeah? Bollocks! Criminals spend time in jail when their appeals are pending. Why should politicians be treated differently?
The Times of India which is trying hard to best the Hindu in Tamil Nadu said Ms Jayalalithaa “will once again be a major player in the cauldron of shifting coalition equations in Delhi… all bets on political realignments are off again. The judgment …has shifted the goalposts once again in the state’s game of thrones.
It came back with another edit the next day. “Tamil Nadu’s ruling party was rudderless for the seven months…Amma’s comeback is bound to have serious ramifications for both Tamil Nadu politics and its relationship with the Centre…Jayalalithaa may also use this opportunity to work out a new understanding with the NDA government at the Centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first to call her after the Karnataka high court verdict absolving her…”
The Hindustan Times was its usual colourless self. “Now that she is back things will get moving. …For the government at the Centre, this verdict will come as a welcome step as Ms Jayalalithaa is said to be personally close to Prime Minister Narendra and supportive of the NDA’s policies…An alliance between the BJP and the AIADMK is something the ruling party would very much like but a lot depends on the volatile Jayalalithaa who has proved a trying partner in the past for those whom her party has had tie-ups with.”
The Telegraph which, unlike the Hindu in Chennai, spares no opportunity to have a go at the West Bengal chief minister got it just right. “For the neutral citizen, who is neither Ms Jayalalithaa's friend nor her enemy, neither her political suitor nor her rival, the development may be occasion for some thought... Can the citizen (understand) the high court's revised sums?... Now that the conviction has been overturned, (there is) confusion.”
It then added for good measure the Salman Khan decision. “The suspension of Salman Khan's sentence of five years' imprisonment by the Bombay High Court till his appeal is heard has caused similar confusion…While on no count can courts of justice be touched by popular feeling, it is also necessary that the people see that the powerful are accorded the same treatment by the blind operations of justice as the ordinary person. Justice must be understood to be just.”
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