12-24-2008, 10:55 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>UPA stands by Antulay</b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Government glosses over his transgression!
The Minister for External Affairs, no doubt on the basis of either what he had been told by the Prime Minister or what was discussed in the Congress core group meeting and possibly by the Cabinet Committee on Security, had promised that the Government would make a statement on Union Minister for Minority Affairs Abdul Rehman Antulay's rancid comments insinuating that Pakistani terrorists were not to blame for the deaths of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two of his senior colleagues during last month's carnage in Mumbai. In the event, Home Minister P Chidambaram's statement in Parliament on Tuesday has turned out to be no more than a statement on the Mumbai terror attacks. <b>Yes, Mr Chidambaram has said that Mr Antulay's unwarranted remarks are "wrong and deeply regrettable", </b>but he has also sought to absolve his colleague of any violation of the principle of collective responsibility, which is the mainstay of the Cabinet system of governance, thus embarrassing the Government at a time when it has launched a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan. Nor has he bothered to address the three points that have been raised after <b>Mr Antulay stunned and shamed the nation in so grotesque and perverse a manner</b>. As a result, the people of India still remain in the dark as to whether Mr Antulay was speaking for himself when he repudiated facts of the fidayeen attacks of November 26 or whether his comments were part of the Congress's strategy to appease Islamists at home. Nor has the nation been told why the Prime Minister chose not to sack Mr Antulay and the Congress allowed its senior leaders to defend his indefensible utterances. Similarly, the issue of Mr Antulay being 'used' to provoke a communal backlash remains unresolved.
It is not good enough to be told by the Prime Minister that to "err is human" and thus forgive Mr Antulay his transgression. After playing ducks and drakes for nearly a week, the Government has merely glossed over Mr Antulay's outrageous remarks -- this is political sophistry that deserves to be treated with utter contempt. What further exposes the Government to ridicule and worse is the fact that Mr Antulay remains unrepentant. Indeed, his arrogance is truly astonishing: Asked about the Opposition's demand that he should either resign from office or be sacked by the Prime Minister, he told newspersons on Tuesday, "the Opposition can touch my feet and ask for my resignation or touch the feet of the Prime Minister and ask him for Antulay's sacking (but nothing is going to happen)". These are not the words of a demented individual, but a cunning politician who sees merit in playing the Islamist card and thus reaching out to fanatics among us. The Government's inaction has emboldened Mr Antulay sufficiently to assert, "My loyalty to the country is much more than that of those who are questioning my loyalty.<b> If Antulay is supporting Pakistan then everybody in India is supporting Pakistan."</b> This is a patent lie. The loyalty quotient of those who are dismayed, distressed and disgusted by Mr Antulay's comments is much higher than his, not least because most people have come to see him as disloyal to the nation. More importantly, while Mr Antulay is welcome to speak for himself and an effete Prime Minister and an unethical Congress are welcome to defend him, he is absolutely wrong if he believes that "everybody in India is supporting Pakistan". This could at best hold true for a minuscule minority to which he belongs.
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
Government glosses over his transgression!
The Minister for External Affairs, no doubt on the basis of either what he had been told by the Prime Minister or what was discussed in the Congress core group meeting and possibly by the Cabinet Committee on Security, had promised that the Government would make a statement on Union Minister for Minority Affairs Abdul Rehman Antulay's rancid comments insinuating that Pakistani terrorists were not to blame for the deaths of Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two of his senior colleagues during last month's carnage in Mumbai. In the event, Home Minister P Chidambaram's statement in Parliament on Tuesday has turned out to be no more than a statement on the Mumbai terror attacks. <b>Yes, Mr Chidambaram has said that Mr Antulay's unwarranted remarks are "wrong and deeply regrettable", </b>but he has also sought to absolve his colleague of any violation of the principle of collective responsibility, which is the mainstay of the Cabinet system of governance, thus embarrassing the Government at a time when it has launched a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan. Nor has he bothered to address the three points that have been raised after <b>Mr Antulay stunned and shamed the nation in so grotesque and perverse a manner</b>. As a result, the people of India still remain in the dark as to whether Mr Antulay was speaking for himself when he repudiated facts of the fidayeen attacks of November 26 or whether his comments were part of the Congress's strategy to appease Islamists at home. Nor has the nation been told why the Prime Minister chose not to sack Mr Antulay and the Congress allowed its senior leaders to defend his indefensible utterances. Similarly, the issue of Mr Antulay being 'used' to provoke a communal backlash remains unresolved.
It is not good enough to be told by the Prime Minister that to "err is human" and thus forgive Mr Antulay his transgression. After playing ducks and drakes for nearly a week, the Government has merely glossed over Mr Antulay's outrageous remarks -- this is political sophistry that deserves to be treated with utter contempt. What further exposes the Government to ridicule and worse is the fact that Mr Antulay remains unrepentant. Indeed, his arrogance is truly astonishing: Asked about the Opposition's demand that he should either resign from office or be sacked by the Prime Minister, he told newspersons on Tuesday, "the Opposition can touch my feet and ask for my resignation or touch the feet of the Prime Minister and ask him for Antulay's sacking (but nothing is going to happen)". These are not the words of a demented individual, but a cunning politician who sees merit in playing the Islamist card and thus reaching out to fanatics among us. The Government's inaction has emboldened Mr Antulay sufficiently to assert, "My loyalty to the country is much more than that of those who are questioning my loyalty.<b> If Antulay is supporting Pakistan then everybody in India is supporting Pakistan."</b> This is a patent lie. The loyalty quotient of those who are dismayed, distressed and disgusted by Mr Antulay's comments is much higher than his, not least because most people have come to see him as disloyal to the nation. More importantly, while Mr Antulay is welcome to speak for himself and an effete Prime Minister and an unethical Congress are welcome to defend him, he is absolutely wrong if he believes that "everybody in India is supporting Pakistan". This could at best hold true for a minuscule minority to which he belongs.
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