Stop pussy-footing
''Politics should not undermine the cause of justice.''
It has taken the Karnataka government over a week to arrest Abdul Nazir Madani, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for his role in the 2008 serial blasts in Bangalore. A Bangalore court had issued a non-bailable warrant for his arrest. Karnataka police went to Kerala, warrant in hand to arrest him. But the Kerala police dragged their feet in facilitating the arrest. It is not as if the whereabouts of the PDP leader were not known.
The police might have been concerned about the possible outbreak of violence and it taking on a communal flavour. But upholding the rule of law is supposed to be their job. They have claimed that putting in place security arrangements was delayed by the visit to the state of President Pratibha Patil last week and Independence Day celebrations.
However, did the police need so many days to tighten security? One would expect the police force to respond with alacrity to any emergency situation. What is the government’s explanation for this tardy response? Madani was arrested only after he was willing to surrender. Do the police wait for such willingness to be displayed before they arrest other ordinary Indians? Why the kid-gloves treatment for Madani?
Political calculations appear to have slowed the Kerala government’s response to the arrest warrant. The PDP and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) fought the 2009 general elections together. With elections due next year, the LDF may not be keen to alienate Muslim voters. It is a matter of serious concern that the government put political considerations above the law of the land, ignoring court orders for over a week.
Madani is in custody now. It is important that he be given a fair trial. This means that if he is found guilty, he must serve sentence as per the law, whatever his clout, community, connections or state of health might be. If there is no hard evidence, he must be released.
Madani languished in a Tamil Nadu jail for many years as an accused in the Coimbatore bomb blasts case. He was later acquitted in the case. Political parties played a role in his release on humanitarian grounds. Murky politics played a role both in his arrest and release then. Allowing politics to cloud the judicial process in any way will undermine the cause of justice.
