AAP Leader Jain Arrested

By Insaf

The arrest of prominent AAP leader and former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain on Tuesday last has raisedmany an eyebrow, particularly given the timing. Punjab, with AAP ruling goes to the polls early next year. Jain was appointed Punjab co-in-charge last March, giving him a critical role to play in the party’s preparations for the big battle. But he is now among six personsarrested by Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in an alleged multi-crore sewage treatment plant (STP) tender fraud case. Says Jain: “It’s because of Punjab election.” Recall, he had served as a minister in all three AAP governments in Delhi and was also entrusted with party affairs in some states, including leading the party’s 2022 poll campaign in Himachal Pradesh, where the party suffered a debacle. Notably, one of the factors attributed for its tragic performance was that Jain was arrested by ED in May 2022, just few months ahead of the November 2022 poll. Obviously, it impacted the party’s organizational mobilisation in the state. He was released on bail in October 2024, which suggests a ‘sinister plan’. Says Sanjay Singh: “Before Delhi elections, Kejriwal, Sisodia, Jain and I were all arrested. The aim was only one, to disturb Delhi’s election. To win it in any way possible. The same thing they are doing now before Punjab elections.”Chief Minister Mann too echoes the same. Will the pattern adopted work for the BJP this time?

Soren ‘Betrays’ Students?

Jubilation has proved short lived for lakhs of students of Jharkhand. Barely two days after calling off their 26-day protest against alleged irregularities in the state’s recruitment exams following Hemant Soren government accepting their demands, anger and despair has returned. The students now accuse the government of ‘deceit’, after it failed to ‘properly defend’ its notification cancelling the appointments of employees selected through 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations. Hearing petitions filed by affected employees, the Jharkhand High Court stayed the notification and sought the State’s reply by September 15. It also stayed the cancellation of appointments of food safety officers. While the court’s order has brought relief to the employees facing cancellation of their appointments, it has left students feeling ‘betrayed and cheated.’ They ask: Why didn’t Advocate General appear? Why didn’t the government counsel make any submission before the court? The episode suggests their concerns have been brushed aside. The writing is on the wall: peaceful protests could resume. The government would do well to remember: a stitch in time saves nine.

TN Govt U-Turn

Gen Z has now the Tamil Nadu government worried. On Wednesday last, the Vijay-led government did a U-turn. It withdrew a controversial directive which sought to prevent students from participating in protests organised by Left parties and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The directive called for coordinated action by directorate of Collegiate Education, police and district administrations to discourage students from joining their protests. All were asked to report on the action taken by August 20. The Higher Education Dept had on August 14, written to Commissioner of Collegiate Education, Director of Technical Education and registrars of state universities, citing the Chief Secretary’s directions for “interdepartmental cooperation” between the School Education, Higher Education and Police departments, as well as district administrations. The communication is interesting as it specifically called for efforts to prevent “students and youth from succumbing to the urge to participate in protests and agitations” organised by Left parties and CJP. Thankfully, the order was withdrawn, not because of a change in heart, but that it had become public and drew much criticism from both political and civil society activists. The democratic right to protest was upheld. Guess, Vijay realised it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Manipur NRC Protest

Manipur is going through another flashpoint. People, led by various civil society organisations, are firm that the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), with 1951 as the base year, must be undertaken before the CAA, which must be postponed. With protests growing louder, the government on Thursday ordered closure of educational institutions for three days. This as a local outfit, the Campaign for Just and Fair Delimitation (JFD), called for a two-day bandh beginning Tuesday and announced a boycott of central and state government institutions from Thursday on in support of the demand. Additionally, a delegation of ruling BJP legislators left for Delhi on Wednesday to press the same demand. Likewise, a 10-member delegation representing Manipur’s different communities and civil society organisations left for Delhi on Thursday to press the Centre for the NRC. The tension between the Meitei and Kuki groups refuses to ebb as the NRC issue is being differently viewed. The former in Imphal Valley has been pressing for it to identify ‘undocumented migrants’ since 1951’, whereas the latter accuse the Meiteis of trying to label them all in this category. The big question is will the Assembly, which had passed a unanimous resolution in August 2022 seeking an NRC before the Census, and reaffirmed in 2024, will make the Centre yield. After all, if there’s a will there’s a way.

Collectors Empowered

The Union Home Ministry appears to be in a tearing hurry to expedite the process of CAA applications. District Collectors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura (except tribal areas), J&K, and Ladakh have been authorised to process these applications. They are now empowered to grant citizenship under the CAA. Interestingly, the change in order is significant as the amendments to the CAA Rules, which had first come into effect on March 11, 2024, have been notified after the BJP came to power in West Bengal this year. The processing of the pending citizenship applications has been transferred from empowered Committees, comprising Central government officials, including those from the Census, IB and postal departments, to DCs, as per the August 19 order, making the earlier arrangement of multi-agency committee redundant. Recall, the CAA was opposed by the then ruling TMC in West Bengal, but the MHA chose to bypass the role of State government and constituted at least four Empowered Committees, two at district level, headed by Central government officials, to clear the applications. With the new order, the Collector is required to verify the documents submitted by an applicant, conduct any necessary enquiry, administer the Oath of Allegiance and determine whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements. If satisfied, the Collector can grant Indian citizenship. The question is: why this sudden urgency to decentralise and accelerate the process now? Worth a watch.— INFA