Saturday, August 13, 2011

A Shame that Modi Government is Targeting Brave Officials

MAILTODAY
13AUG2011

MAIL TODAY COMMENT

The action against the two officials who have been forthright enough to speak out against the state government's handling of the horrific riots, sends out the message that there has been no change in its attitude of stonewalling efforts to bring guilty functionaries to book, thereby denying justice to the riot victims.

The suspect manner in which the government has gone about chargesheeting Mr Sharma— with information being denied to him that could enable him file a reply to the show- cause served on him— should leave no one in doubt about the intent guiding its move.

Mr Sharma, incidentally, was one of the few IPS officers of the Gujarat cadre who earned praise for his handling of the riots, only to be subsequently removed from the posting.

The harassment meted out to him by the state government reiterates the need for Parliament to pass a whistle blowers' legislation without any delay. For, if the accounts of witnesses, reports of human rights groups, and the stance of the Supreme Court itself, are any indication, it is not officers like Mr Sharma, but the state government that subverted the law as far as the Gujarat riots were concerned.

By targeting those who had upheld the letter and spirit of the law, Narendra Modi is only making it evident that notwithstanding his prime ministerial ambitions, he continues to hold the Indian Constitution and its law in contempt.






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