The Supreme Court has given a dressing down to politicians misusing religious sentiments and furthering their selfish goals. Those who hold constitutional offices, it ruled, should keep Gods away from their politics. The reference was to the huge drama Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu staged by a sensational and provocative proclamation that ghee adulterated with “animal fat” was used in the preparation of Tirumala Tirupati Temple’s laddu prasadam in recent times. Naidu’s obvious intent was to target previous Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, during whose governance the alleged sacrilege happened. Jagan Reddy being a Christian by faith, the CM’s aim was to create a Hindu backlash against him and his YSR Congress party. The Supreme Court, in its wisdom, noted that the allegation was made without proof and based on suspicion. The Court also posed the question to the Chief Minister why he jumped the gun and made such statements when he himself had ordered a police investigation to unravel the truth. Naidu should rather have “waited for the police report” before shooting from his mouth.
Admittedly, when the CM takes a stand that a wrong was done, the police in its report would hesitate to contradict it. By making a premature judgment, the Chief Minister apparently sought to manipulate the probe itself. This is how politics is getting degenerated across states, if only for the fact that an army of selfish, uncouth politicians are today ruling the roost. Naidu won the recent assembly polls and formed the government. Starkly, he won power within months after he was arrested and jailed for government fund misappropriation. That case is ongoing. His tainted image did not turn into a disadvantage in the electoral arena, simply because he made promises of huge doles to the poor in his election manifesto.
Little wonder that Naidu has got the BJP in his governance bandwagon this time after a period of bitter rivalry his Telugu Desam party had with the saffron politics and he himself sought to pull Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s legs five years ago. BJP showed the way in exploiting religious and sectarian sentiments to its electoral advantage. This showed up also in the PM’s obsession to appropriate credit for the erection of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya. These could, unless arrested, lead to a scenario of religious fundamentalism having the upper hand in governance. The Supreme Court understands the seriousness of such dangerous pursuits that can undercut the cause of national harmony and integrity. India is a mosaic of different regions with specific characteristics, religions, races, castes, communities and cultures. To exist here is to co-exist. The apex court intervention to avert a situation of communal or religious conflagration is appreciable. It put paid to Naidu’s attempt to play with fire.
