An Indian journalist did a shoe-gate on Home Minister P Chidambaram and that has sparked a row over the manner of the protest. Later, the Sikh journalist apologised for his act but he emphasised that it was the outrage against the government’s apathy on 1984 riots. The Congress party gave tickets to two of its leader whose role in the Sikh riots has been controversial. However, what was more shocking that just before the polls the CBI gave a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler. The journalist’s manner of protest was wrong but it was symptomatic of the larger anger within the community against the guilty being rewarded by their respective parties. Congress is not the lone party accused of harbouring and patronising tainted politicians, the main opposition party BJP has also indulged in doublespeak when it comes to acting against riot-tainted politicians. Modi is a classic example of how blatantly the parties act without taking into consideration the emotions and sentiments of a particular community. Moral of the story is that politicians across party lines have indulged in wrong doings and with general impunity. Let’s become zero tolerant towards riot-tainted politicians.
Md Ziyaullah Khan
New Delhi