Monday, May 8, 2017

A sad pantomime!

The Pinarayi Vijayan government has unnecessarily made it an ego issue on the reinstatement of TP Senkumar, as the state's police boss after 11 months of his removal. Let me go through the diary of events connected with the case for a quick recap:-

   24 Apr Supreme Court strikes down the 11 month old, state government's order removing
                Senkumar from the post of DGP and orders his immediate reinstatement.
               (The removal was based on the CPM's perception that the police investigations were going                   against its partymen in important cases especially, with respect to the TP Chandrasekharan                 murder!).
   26 Apr A file was opened at the chief secretary's behest for initiating the process of reinstatement
                of TP Senkumar and was referred to the law secretary for his opinion who, had advised the
                government against going for a review petition, citing past instances! However, he was
                asked to recommend forwarding the file to the Attorney General, citing the 'Rules of
                business'.
   03 May At the cabinet meeting, the government decides to wait for the court's decision on the
                 clarification and review petitions, filed by the state, prior to the implementation of the
                 court's orders!
   06 May Better sense prevails and the order, reinstating the former DGP on his rightful appointment
                 emanates from the chief minister's office and TP Senkumar takes over, formally.
   08 May The chief secretary, Ms. Nalini Netto, files a counter affidavit at the Supreme Court saying
                 that there was no wilful default or disobedience, on her part, in implementing the court's
                 judgement and prayed to the court to drop contempt proceedings against her even as the
                 court is set to hear the case against her on Tuesday!
                 Meanwhile, the chief minister cut a sorry figure in the Assembly when he said that:-
                    (a) it was neither an indictment nor a slap on the face of the government when the
                         court had ordered TP Senkumar's reinstatement as DGP overturning the state
                         government's orders!
                    (b) the government has not sought a pardon from the court for its vacillation in the
                          implementation of the court's orders regarding the reinstatement as it had done
                          only what the Attorney General had recommended. (I pity the poor AG).
                    (c) no fine has been levied on the government. (A sum of Rs.25,000/- has been levied by 
                         the Supreme Court on the state government, as penal charges!).

My take.

What a sad spectacle? The chief minister, resorting to untruths on the floor of the house! Doesn't he realise that his credibility, among the people, has become the biggest casualty? And all that because 
of personal vendetta and false ego? A good leader has to be a statesman with the added quality of magnanimity and should have the ability to accept his mistake!


Tailpiece.

We set off for Guruvayur at 7. The journey was fine despite the Monday morning traffic. We reached 'The Quarterdeck' in time for our lunch at 2 o'clock!  
       
       
 
    

No comments:

Post a Comment