Opinion No exoneration

The daily Inquilab,published from Delhi,Mumbai,Lucknow,Kanpur and Bareilly,argues in its editorial on the same day: “Why should this order create such discomfort? The Supreme Court has not said that all seekers of justice,including Zakia Jafri,should bow before whatever judgment the magistrate in Ahmedabad pronounces. The Supreme Court has also not said that it would not admit any appeal. The three-member bench has taken this decision after examining the reports of the SIT and the amicus curiae. It must have certainly noted some points in these reports that point at the correct direction of the investigation… We hope that the decision that Zakia Jafri expected when she approached the Supreme Court,inshallah,she will be given by the trial court. If,God forbid,it is not so,and apprehension wins over hope,the door of the Supreme Court is open.”

Rashtriya Sahara,in its editorial on Sepember 14,has castigated the BJP leaders for their “wrong interpretation of the court order.” It writes: “If a jurist like Arun Jaitley says that ‘it has been proved that Modi had no role in the Gujarat riots,’ it is not ignorance of law or an inability to understand the meaning of the court’s order. It is a misleading comment and the objective behind it is not difficult to understand.”

Courting attack

Criticising the security forces for their failure to prevent the bomb blast at the Delhi high court on September 7,particularly during a Parliament session when “the security arrangement in Delhi is perceived to be stronger than during normal days,” Rashtriya Sahara writes in its editorial on September 9: “Given that private vehicles are checked by the police,this bomb explosion is especially shocking. What kind of checking does the police do? …There has been a previous explosion there on May 25,but even then,a CCTV camera was not installed.” The paper writes: “It is reassuring that the National Investigation Agency has been assigned the responsibility of probing the explosion from day one. It is hoped that the central point of the NIA inquiry would be to find the real culprits of the Delhi high court explosion,and not to target any specific section or organisation.”

The daily Siasat,published from Hyderabad and Bangalore,writes in its editorial on September 8: “There are no two opinions about the fact that the Indian people have demonstrated high morale despite all the actions of terrorists. But it does not mean that the government can leave citizens at the mercy of terrorists instead of fulfilling its responsibilities sincerely… The government tries to wash its hands of all responsibility by making allegations against a particular group,without an investigation.”

Communal violence bill

Commenting on the prime minister’s defence of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Regulations) Bill 2011 at the National Integration Council meeting,Rashtriya Sahara writes in its editorial on September 12: “The tone of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s speech suggested that the government is not as serious about this bill as it should be.The UPA should not entertain any illusions about the BJP’s support on any proposal that aims at minority rights and justice. As for the BJP’s talk of the proposed bill dividing minorities and majorities into separate compartments,it should be rejected because there is recurring proof that minorities have been oppressed along religious lines during riots. It is only right that laws that provide a sense of security to the minorities be enacted.”

Delhi-based daily Hamara Samaj writes in its editorial on the same day: “The bill is necessary for the integrity of the country,it would help the security personnel to a great extent and keep communal elements in check.”