Work Together

Centre and states must coordinate effectively to fight terrorism

Work Together

"There is an urgent need to make counterterrorism capabilities perennial rather than reactive."

-The Times of India, February 20, 2012 

A past that will not pass

The Gujarat High Court lit into the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of “inaction and negligence” resulting in the destruction of over 500 Muslim places of worship during the 2002 post-Godhra pogrom. A day later, came the news that Mr. Modi had been cleared of the charge of abetting the 2002 violence in a final report filed to the magisterial court by the Special Investigation Team.

It is clear that the last word on the question of criminality will not be said for some time. So the CM's camp followers will do well to show some restraint, not least because his administration has come in for repeated censure by courts in the past year.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : A past that will not pass: "Whatever the final view taken by the courts on Modi's individual legal culpability for the tragedy of Gujarat, the fact that he remained — at best — a mute spectator to the killing of hundreds of innocent citizens and did nothing to ensure justice for the victims afterwards is a moral and political badge of dishonour that will ensure the higher office his supporters seek for him remains out of reach."

Modi Rapped

High court reminds Gujarat CM of his mandate

Modi Rapped

-The Times of India, February 10, 2012

Gujarat Lokayukta

When the Gujarat Lokayukta was appointed by the governor of the state as an obligation to the parliamentary democracy, Narendra Modi, under the facade of the Gujarat Government challenged the same as illegal in the high court lost the case and turned out to be a huge humiliation for the Gujarat government that had bragged about setting high parliamentary standards...

"This is how federal structure works", believes eminent lawyer and human rights activist, Girish Patel...

Lokayukta: Political agenda with legal overtones

The Lokayukta deception

The Gujarat Lokayukta has been headless since 2003, thanks to a protracted battle over the choice of nominee that saw Mr. Modi ranged against the Governor and the Chief Justice of the High Court.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : The Lokayukta deception: "The divergence is clearly seen between the BJP's strongly argued theoretical position in favour of a powerful and independent anti-corruption ombudsman, and the wilful disrespect shown to the same institution by one of its own Chief Ministers."

In an extraordinary judgment that must count among the sharpest indictments ever handed out to any State government, the Gujarat High Court has upheld Governor's appointment of Lokayukta over objections by CM Modi.

Allow Neutrality

Gujarat government should not play politics with Lokayukta 


Allow Neutrality

-The Times of India, January 20, 2012

The Modi government has challenged High Court's verdict on the issue of the appointment of Justice R A Mehta as Gujarat Lokayukta by appealing in the Supreme Court. The BJP, according to the editor, is displaying different standards - one at the center and another at the state.