‘Last resort of scoundrels’

The recent incident in which an MLA from Indore had physically assaulted a municipal authority officer has not only raised eyebrows across the country, but has also flagged off the issue of rising highhandedness of politicians. In the instant case, the MLA – Akasha Vijavargiya – also happens to be the son of Kailash Vijayvargiya, a senior functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who was the saffron party’s campaign manager for the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. The top BJP leader, whose son and MLA had beaten up a government official in full view of the public with television cameras recording his heroic deed, however appears to have no regret for the incident. A few days ago, a younger brother of a senior leader of the TRS party in Telangana had surpassed the junior Vijayvargiya when they displayed their heroism by thrashing a lady forest officer. The hero in this case was one Koneru Krishna Rao, the younger brother of Sirpur TRS MLA Koneru Konappa. There have been several other similar instances in the recent past when MPs and MLAs were also seen beating up police officers, revenue officers and journalists – the root reason behind it being that these heroes have all acquired or tasted power through politics. The West Bengal incident was even worse, in which people having political patronage and protection of Mamata Banerjee had beaten up two young doctors, one of whom is still struggling for life. What is most disturbing is that while members and leaders of different political parties have indulged in such goonda-giri, leaders of other political parties have only chosen to remain silent over such incidents, which is a clear sign of silently supporting such hooliganism. This is because while parties that are currently in power are indulging in goonda-giri and hooliganism, parties currently not in power had either done similar acts in the past or are waiting for their turn to acquire or capture power so that they can also indulge in such acts. It is however very heartening that the condemnation of such incidents has come from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister, who took strong exception particularly to the Indore incident where senior BJP leader Kailash Vijaivargiya’s son Akash had beaten up a government officer, has said that regardless of whose son he is, such people should be sacked from the party. But then the Prime Minister’s condemnation of the incident appears to be more because it had tarnished the image of his party, and not because a party member had taken the law into his hands. It is surprising why the Prime Minister could not direct the police to immediately arrest Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son. It is however good that Modi has slammed a section of BJP leaders who had hailed Akash Vijayvargiya and accorded him a hero’s welcome after he had beaten up a government officer. The underlying message is now clear – political leaders are above the law, and they are more when the culprits happen to be sons and brothers of MPs and MLAs, if not MPs and MLAs themselves. No wonder George Bernard Shaw had once remarked – “Politics is the last resort for the scoundrel.”