Does the title of this post remind you of the 1998 blockbuster titled Aag hi Aag starring the tough and enduring stalwarts of Bollywood, Dharmendra and Shatru? If it does, my apologies, it has nothing to do with the movie.
Rather, its focus is the latest antic designed to shield the new saviouress of India, the saint nulli secundus, the one and only modern-day female equivalent of Bhagavan Buddha: Sonia Gandhi. The entire clan of her bhaktas want to subvert all norms just so she can be saved by the horde of evil conspirators around her.
With The Indian Express report on the UPA government arming itself with an ordinance to exempt certain posts from offices of profit rocking both Houses today, the Government moved swiftly to get Parliament adjourned sine die, saying “there was no government business for the remaining part of the Budget session”. The “traditional recess” of the session done away, the decks are now clear for the Government to bring in the ordinance which, as The Indian Express reported today, will change the law on offices of profit and ensure that prominent MPs, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, escape a Jaya Bachchan-type disqualification.
The bhaktas want to promulgate the Ordinance in a hurry for the last time around they went to great lengths, filmi style-bawling, tearing clothes (err…their own clothes), prostrating at her, shouting from cartops, and finally trying to have the last laugh by using the “renunciation” word because the President stopped her from becoming the Prime Minister on legal grounds.
They’re careful this time, there’s plenty at stake. Heaven forbid should she face disqualification in the manner of Jaya Bachchan, a move which incidentally Jaya terms as “politically motivated” but let’s not believe Jaya.
Actually, the Ordinance should get through without much trouble: the Opposition’s hollering hardly matters: worse things were done to democracy earlier. The Congress party need only to take a leaf out of Indira Gandhi’s Manual on Mauling the Constitution.
Tags: Commentary, Election 2004, Indian Politics
On 03.23.06 Niketan says:
Just a small correction - Aag Hi Aag was sometime in the late eighties ( i think it was 1987 or88). By 1998, both these stalwarts had stopped acting. Or is there another Aag Hi Aag made in 1998
On 03.23.06 Niketan says:
Further to my earlier post, sorry hit the post button too soon. What offices will be exempt? Sonia-ji (sic) is after all only an MP. Why not end the trouble? Let us officially make it a rule that a member from a privileged family can hold any profitable post. This should end the problem for the ruling party.
Things seem to be going back to 1975 - just before the emergency when any opponent was hounded out. But at least
On 03.23.06 Sandeep says:
Niketan,
Thanks for pointing out that error. It was a typo.
On 03.23.06 doubtinggaurav says:
Why not declare India a monarchy and stop this charade.
We can save money on the elections that way.
Regards
On 03.23.06 Das says:
I wonder how many of the 572 MPs hold an “office of profit” - probably the whole set can be disqualified?
I guess the law is “you shouldn’t have yet another office of profit” …
On 03.24.06 Niketan says:
One more ode to martyrdom. Sadly even rediff is going the way of the other ELM. Is this just a news report or a tearful eulogy.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/23profit4.htm
On 03.24.06 Niketan says:
Look - One more ode to martyrdom. Sadly even rediff is going the way of the other ELM. Is this just a news report or a tearful eulogy.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/23profit4.htm
On 03.24.06 Niketan says:
Am trying to post this but having problems doing that. Keeps giving a message: Duplicate comment
Look - One more ode to martyrdom. Sadly even rediff is going the way of the other ELM. Is this just a news report or a tearful eulogy.
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/23profit4.htm
On 03.24.06 Niketan says:
Apologize for the comments that have been duplpicated. But I kept getting error messages. Please check this out
On 03.24.06 Sandeep says:
Niketan,
Happens. It’s okay. And I read that piece. Not worth blogging about.
On 03.28.06 ac says:
Everybody seem to be suffereing selective amnesia. Threats to resign, resigning, with drawing resignation are rights of Indian Political class. It is can never be just the right of a single party say BJP.
Let me refresh your memory.
Remember Advani’s resignation drama after Jinna remarks?
Remember M.M Joshis resignation drama due to some court ruling on Babri case
Remember the ‘grand old man’ Vajpayee’s resignation drama in UTI scam?
For those who don’t remember: Here are the links:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/18/stories/2005061803871002.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jun/10advpak3.htm
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=170992
http://www.businessworldindia.com/oct0603/news14.asp
http://dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=cherian%2Fcherian83.txt&writer=cherian
http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/jul/31vaj.htm
http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/2001/08/17/stories/041745ku.htm
But all of them either withdraw resignation or their resignation were not accepted.
Yes, I can now hear the other arguement - whu should Sonia be allowed to waste public money by forcing an election. But then didn’t some of the big shots in BJP contest from two seats during elections. Wasn’t that waste of money as wel..
Sandeep you write well, but your wrong/right scale seem to depend on who is doing the right or wrong . Do call spade spade. But do maintain a bit more high standard of consistency.