Judiciary operating in fear under NDA govt, says Rahul
Loss of face and deposit
In order to discourage non-serious candidatures, the Election Commission insists on a ‘security’ deposit, but at the same time keeping in mind that it is low enough that money wouldn’t be a barrier. Under the representation of people’s act the EC is empowered to collect ₹10,000 from each candidate in a state poll if he belongs to the general category. The deposit is 5,000 in case the candidate is an SC/ST. The RP Act also states that in case a candidate fails to get a sixth of all valid votes cast, his/her deposit will be forfeited.
The BJP, Congress and JD(S) had put up candidates in nearly all the 222 seats that went to polls. JD(S) candidates forfeited deposits in 104 seats, Congress in three and the BJP, saw 31 of its candidates lost their deposits.
For candidates who spend lakhs and sometimes even crores to win elections, the sum involved in forfeiting a deposit may be small, but the loss of face is bigger. RAIPUR: Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the controversial government formation in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday that the Constitution was under “severe attack” and that the state of judiciary in India had become akin to that in Pakistan.
The BJP emerged as the singlelargest party in Karnataka with 104 of the 222 seats that went to the polls but the Congress with 78 seats and Janata Dal (Secular) with 38 seats formed a post-poll alliance. The governor invited the BJP and BS Yeddyurappa took oath as chief minister on Thursday morning after a midnight Supreme Court appeal by the Congress to stay the swearing-in failed. The court will hear the case on Friday.
Speaking in Chhattisgarh hours after the oath ceremony, Gandhi said that the judiciary, press and even BJP parliamentarians were operating under fear.
“People approach the judiciary for justice but for the first time in history four sitting judges of the Supreme Court came in front of public and claimed they are not allowed to perform their duties and they want public support,” he said, referring to an unprecedented press conference by justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph in January.
The judges had raised questions about how the Chief Justice of India was allocating sensitive and important cases.
“It definitely happens under dictatorship, it happens in Pakistan, it happens in different Afri- can countries, (where) a general comes and suppresses court and press, but in India it has happened for the first time in last 70 years,” he said.
Gandhi also accused the Karnataka governor of being “on the other” side and said “our constitution is under severe attack.”
Gandhi, who spoke at Raipur, Surguja and Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh, which goes to the polls later this year, on Thursday as part of his ‘Jan Swaraj Sammelan’, also focused on the problems of farmers and promised that if the Congress government comes to power the entire debt of farmers would be waived.
Responding to Gandhi’s comments, Anil Baluni, Bharatiya Janata Party’s media department chief and Rajya Sabha MP, said, “The statement shows, yet again, Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s love for Pakistan. That is why he is giving examples from Pakistan. Gandhi would do better if look backs at what his own ancestors have done and how they have destroyed institutions in this country.”