Rahul’s return to LS to boost Cong

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s return to the Lok Sabha coinciding with the ongoing debate on the ‘No Trust Motion’ against the Narendra Modi-led Government, will be welcomed by all those who were concerned with suppression of free speech, expression of dissent and emasculation of democracy in India by the current dispensation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Member of Parliament from Wayanad in Kerala, Rahul gets back his lower house membership after a hiatus of 134 days.

While most would agree with the apex court’s observation that the Congress leader’s remarks against people carrying ‘Modi’ surname were in bad taste, they simultaneously perceived the maximum twoyear sentence for him to be too harsh for a trivial offence.

Moreover, the lower courts which either handed down or retained the sentence, failed in explaining as to why he deserved a 2-year of jail term and also failed to see how the disqualification from Parliament deprived the electorate of the constituency their representation.

It was worth questioning, at least for the Gujarat High Court, if a leader of the opposition be barred from the Parliament in an offence categorized as bailable, non-cognizable and compoundable in the Indian Penal Code.

While the Court is yet to get into the details of the offence and the current relief is of the nature of ‘a stay’ on disqualification, it is worth asking if a leader could be silenced for eight years and barred from contesting election for an offence that has no bearing on the polity and administration.

It is rather a sad commentary on the judicial administration that it often fails to apply reason and discretion in such matters, tends to placate the powers-that-be and feel no qualms in appeasing them through verdicts that fall far short of meeting the ends of justice.

The very fact that aggrieved individuals have to traverse the entire hierarchy of courts to the topmost court of the land for relief and restoration of their status, in a case that does not deserve any serious attention, also calls for a debate on and scrutiny of the role of the lower judiciary which in most cases seen to be oblivious of its duty of maintaining high standards of independence.

Not withstanding the final verdict from Surat court, Rahul’s return to the Lok Sabha can be expected to boost the morale of the Congress Party and the newly formed opposition block INDIA.

Having emerged on the political scene as a formidable leader following the huge success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul will be expected to lead the charge against Modi administration for its criminal silence on ethnic violence continuing in Manipur for well over three months and allegations of sexual misconduct by renowned women athletes against a BJP MP who has been heading the Wrestlers’ Federation of India.