Criminal always a criminal until acquitted by court: CM Siddaramaiah on arrest of kar sevaks of '92
Vijayapura (PTI): With the recent arrest of two BJP activists who had taken part in the Ayodhya agitation back in 1992 snowballing into a controversy, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said a criminal is always a criminal unless acquitted by a court of law.
Hitting out at Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi for his jibe at the government, Siddaramaiah said Joshi does not know the law and is talking politically and not legally.
"A criminal is always a criminal unless acquitted by the court. Does crime vanish with time? Does Pralhad Joshi know the law? Crime does not fade away with time. It remains as it is," Siddaramaiah told reporters.
He was reacting to a question on the recent arrest of two 'kar sevaks' who were allegedly involved in the commotion that ensued post Babri mosque demolition in 1992 in Hubballi.
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The BJP criticised the Congress government "for pursuing the politics of vendetta" against kar sevaks after 31 years of the incident. It warned the government that it will stage a vehement agitation if the kar sevaks are not released.
"Is Pralhad Joshi a legal expert or legal luminary? Is he a court? Can Pralhad Joshi's statement be accepted as a quote from the Vedas? He is talking politically and not legally. Government abides by the law," the chief minister said.
He explained that the state Home Minister G Parameshwara had ordered police officials to pursue and dispose of old cases. So the police rounded up people involved in old cases. Police have only obeyed the home minister's direction, he added.
To a question on Joshi's allegation that the government has stooped low by arresting the accused in a 31-year-old case, Siddaramaiah attributed Joshi's remarks to his "low-level mentality, because he is supporting criminals".
When asked why the police did not act when the non-bailable warrant was issued, he sought to know what was wrong in arresting them now.
"It's true that there was a delay in taking action but is there any rule that the arrests should not have happened?" the chief minister asked.
"What should be done to those who do wrong? Should they be freed just like that? We have directed (the police) to dispose of old cases. Accordingly, the police have taken action. We do not pursue the politics of vendetta or arrest innocent people," Siddaramaiah said.
He clarified that the police action was based on the direction by the court.
On the BJP's demand that the state government announce a holiday on January 22, when the Lord Rama idol will be installed in the newly built Ayodhya temple, Siddaramaiah said let the Centre do it since it is organising the event.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
