After observing such a development in the state, one is reminded of what former Vice President of US, Adlai E. Stevenson had said: “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation.” The ones who preached morality and decency for quite sometime now have been caught miserably with no place to cover their shame.
The moral brigade of Sangh Parivar in the state came to its resurgent best after the Saffron Party came to power in the state in 2008. While Churches were attacked within a couple of months of BJP assuming power, pubs were attacked in the name of ‘preserving our culture’. However, the same government had no qualms to allow the obvious indecent rave party in St Mary’s Island. It is indeed an irony of sorts that the Chief Minister of Karnataka should publicly make a statement justifying the rave party, which was a slap on the moral brigade of the state. The CM said that such celebrations were needed to promote tourism in the coastal belt. One wonders where the Sangh Parivar is now. There seems to be no widespread protest or any statement to this day from any of its patrons as regards the rave party of St Mary’s Island. Their prolonged silence in the face of grave embarrassment betrays their hypocrisy.
In the case of porn episode, that these Ministers had the audacity to watch porn on the floor of the House only speaks of the regard they have for decency. Forget about their regard and reverence for Vidhana Soudha, the State Legislature; they did not even have the prudence to hide their banality for a while.
The porn scandal of BJP Ministers in the State Assembly may have shocked the country at large, but such developments were expected considering the fact that the BJP which came to power for the first time in the state went all out to ‘relish’ it. Excise Minister Renukacharya was accused by nurse Jayalakshmi of sexual harassment, while former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Hartal Halappa was accused of allegedly raping the wife of his friend in Shimoga. All these acts only suggest one fact: while the BJP and its Sangh compatriots may demand moral high values from others in the state and act as the custodians of ‘high morality’ to garner political mileage, they have not been able to convince their own men to practice high moral values.
While the state government tries to put a brave face after making the three Ministers resign from their office, the Opposition is harping for their disqualification from the primary membership of the Assembly. The Opposition may have its own agenda, but its demand is indeed justifiable. It is not enough for the government to ‘accept’ the resignation of the disgraceful ministers and wash ones hands. A case in point is what happened in London recently. A clerk in a London court was caught watching hardcore bondage porn during a rape trial. The clerk reportedly said that he indulged in such act only when the proceedings in the court turned boring. The clerk has since been dismissed from the office and a case has been registered against him. He will be sentenced later this month for public misconduct.
All public servants and people’s representatives, whether they like it or not, have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of a public servant. Anyone who breaches this privilege is not worthy to be in that office any longer. If the BJP is serious about sending a strong signal to its members who might indulge in such similar acts, and if it truly believes in preserving high credibility and morality in democracy, it must act now and disqualify all the three tainted members and try them for bringing the State Legislature into disrepute. This will also redeem the Party of the grave embarrassment that it currently facing.
No comments:
Post a Comment