Centre on witch hunting mode in West Bengal
The tussle between PM Narendra Modi and WB CM Mamata Banerjee has come to a very tricky point. Supreme Court has refused permission to arrest Kolkata Police Commissioner on charges of tampering with proof pertaining to Saradha Chit Funds scandal which has cheated lakhs of people amounting to huge money.
The court has said the Commissioner can appear before the CBI voluntarily pertaining to the enquiry. Mamata Banerjee has welcomed this decision. In some ways, the court has diplomatically given an earful to both centre and state.
In the last three days, West Bengal looked like it was in constitutional crisis. About 40 men from the CBI had entered the Kolkata Police Station, which prompted CM Mamata Banerjee to personally arrive at the station to defend the Commissioner of Police. She sat on a dharna and this led to matters being complicated. Except for left parties, rest of the political parties had supported Banerjee.
Supreme Court has ordered that the CBI enquiry should be conducted into the Saradha Chit Funds case which runs into several lakhs of thousands in 2014 itself. The BJP government sat on this matter for the longest time after assuming office and is planning to act now when its term is a mere four and half months in the centre. This is nothing but a political opportunism.
The Modi government has made a mockery of CBI while taking chief accused in this scam Trinamool leader Mukul Roy under their wings into BJP, and misusing autonomous institutions to act at their behest. This does not mean Mamata Banerjee is any innocent. Her leaders, supporters and seniors are part of this scandal. But this recent development is not limited to the scandal alone. There are clearly political calculations behind this.
Modi government has launched this raid with the intention of clinching 42 Lok Sabha seats in WB, in the upcoming elections. Mamata on the other hand used the hunger strike weapon against this assault, to emerge a shining star and a strong leader at that out of this incident.
Sangh Parivar which has been wanting to gain control over WB since long, has extended all support to Modi on this. Both Modi and Banerjee are leaders with authoritarian mindsets. They can sacrifice anybody for their political gains. Mamata used Maoists to finish off the CPM government in West Bengal.
She instigated people against Singur and Nandigram farmer uprising. After assuming power, she finished off senior Maoist leader Kishenji and other Naxal activists. Communist leaders are facing threats and assaults every day. Now Modi grew up imbibing the ideals of fascist outfit such as RSS. He is conditioned to have authoritarian views. Hence both cannot be defended.
After assuming power, Modi has been using premium investigative agency such as CBI to silence his political detractors. He used it against RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav who had turned into a stumbling block in Bihar. He sent CBI to the residences of Mayawati, Arvind Kejriwal and Mulayam’s son’s residence. But he was smart enough not to send CBI to his own party members’ residences despite the fact that they have been instrumental in the mega Vyapam scandal that has claimed the lives of 20 persons so far. CBI didn’t go to check on Amit Shah’s son.
But the team was sent to Bengal. Not just that, Modi government’s conduct when it comes to the federal structure of the states and their rights is highly questionable. Right now West Bengal has escaped a constitutional crisis. But we need to see what happens in the future.
One thing is very clear from this. For anybody to escape corruption charges, the only route left is to join the BJP. This ensures safe exit from all the impending punishment. Trinamool leader Mukul Roy was facing serious charges and CBI had taken it up in 2015. But the investigation was dropped when Mukul Roy joined the BJP. Hemant Sharma of Assam was also in the same boat and he escaped inquiry since he joined the BJP.
In Karnataka, the mining mafia was safeguarded since they were in BJP. One of the prominent Congress politicians was forced to join BJP and he didn’t relent. Joining BJP is much like ‘bara khoon maaf’ instead of being declared innocent by the courts. Mamata Banerjee has challenged this since it is inevitable for her existence.
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Rohit identifies Arshdeep, Hardik as key to India's chances in T20 World Cup
New Delhi (PTI): T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma reckons all-rounder Hardik Pandya and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh will hold the key to India's prospects in the upcoming edition of the tournament.
Defending champions India will enter the T20 showpiece as one of the overwhelming favourites due to their massive depth and quality.
Rohit highlighted Arshdeep's effectiveness with the new ball and at the death.
"It is a big positive to have both Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh together because they always attack for wickets. Arshdeep's biggest strength is swinging the new ball and taking early wickets. He mainly bowls with the new ball and at the death. Starting and finishing are the most important phases, and he is strong in both," Rohit told JioHotstar.
"With the new ball, he swings it to get left-handers caught in the slips and targets the pads of right-handers. He has also started taking the ball away from right-handers. These skills are key for a new-ball bowler. He always tries to take wickets, which is why he bowls the first over."
Rohit added, "In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, he did a great job. I still remember he dismissed Quinton de Kock when he was set and batting well. In the 19th over, he gave away just two or three runs, which built pressure on the South Africans.
"That is his game, bowling with the new ball and at the death, and he will play a key role for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup."
India won the last edition of the tournament in the Americas under Rohit's captaincy, after which the dashing opener retired from the T20 format internationally.
Rohit also spoke about how Hardik's dual role as a finisher and multi-phase bowler provides crucial balance to the Indian team.
"Whenever Hardik Pandya is in the team, his role is huge. He bats and bowls very consistently. His batting is crucial when the team is stuck. If we have a score of 160 on the board in 15-16 overs and Hardik is batting, then he's the one who can help the team reach 210-220 from there or if we are 50 for 4, he has to build the innings.
"Batting in the middle order at 5, 6, or 7 is very tough. That is why Hardik's role is critical in any format. We know his bowling. He bowls in key phases, with the new ball, in the middle and in the death as well. His role is very important because he gives the team balance, letting us play six bowlers and keep our batting deep."
Rohit said accommodating both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy together in the playing XI is going to be a big challenge for the Indian team management.
"The biggest challenge for captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir will be how to play both Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy together. If you want that combination, you can only do it if you play with two seamers, which is a big challenge.
"But honestly, I would be tempted to play both Varun and Kuldeep because they are wicket-takers and batters struggle to read them. I would surely pick them."
The former India skipper added, "Looking at the conditions in India, like in this New Zealand series, there is a lot of dew. In February and March, dew will be heavy across most parts as winter ends.
"Even in Mumbai, which doesn't get cold, there's still dew. I'd say 90-95 percent of grounds in India have dew. That's the challenge. What do the coach and captain think? Are they comfortable with three spinners? Then they can play spin, but there's no fixed rule. It depends on the team leaders' thinking."
Rohit also urged Kuldeep to stop appealing on every ball and to rely on the wicketkeeper's judgment for reviews.
"My one simple advice to Kuldeep is to just bowl quietly and go back to his mark. You can't appeal on every ball. This is basic. I keep saying it, but it still happens often. Even after telling him many times, he appeals at every chance. You have to use your head. Just because it touches the pad, it doesn't mean it's out every time. This isn't gully cricket.
"I get he is enthusiastic, but think of the team first. Each team only gets two DRS reviews. If I was the keeper, I could see where the ball pitched and if it was hitting, I could tell the bowler.
"But from covers or slip, you don't know the angle. You have to listen to what the keeper and bowler say. That's why when there's a review off Kuldeep's bowling, I don't look at him, I look at the keeper to decide."
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in venues across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
