The latest instance which has exposed the double standards of both the Congress and UDF leaders on the judiciary has been the letter written by Kerala Congress (M) MLA and Chief whip of the Oommen Chandy Government P C George to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India. In the letter, George has complained against the Thiruvananthapuram vigilance court judge P K Haneefa, who ordered reinvestigation in the palmolein case figuring chief minister Oommen Chandy, among others. George’s complaint is that the judge has exceeded his brief in ordering reinvestigation and that he does not have the power to do so unless either the prosecution or the investigating agency asks for it. George has also said that he has made the complaint as an ordinary citizen and not as an MLA or as the chief hip of the government.

The KC(M) leader’s justification of the letter bristles with contradictions. First and foremost, if he was making a complaint as an ordinary citizen he had no business to use the letterhead of the chief whip to send the letter. If he had any complaint against the judge, the option for him was to approach the court above it instead of writing to the President. He has done nothing of the sort. What he has done is to launch a ‘personal vilification’ campaign against the judge, in the process belittling the dignity of the judiciary. That is the stand of the opposition Left Democratic Front in general and the CPI(M) in particular.

George is also on record that he has highest respect for judiciary but the vigilance court judge’s order has infringed the democratic rights of an ordinary citizen! He has not cared to explain how. Incidentally, George is facing a contempt of court petition for his fulminations against the judge who has passed the order against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. He is also facing another petition for making derogatory references to the Vigilance court judge and the judiciary. So much for his respect for the judiciary.

What is most intriguing has been the reaction of Mr Oommen Chandy and KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala. Ramesh was quick with his response: neither he nor the Congress had any role in George’s letter. Within 24 hours, the KPCC chief executed a neat somersault. This time he claimed that there was no need to isolate George over the incident as he had made the complaint in his personal capacity! Chandy identified himself with the sentiments expressed by the KPCC president. He said he had respect for judges and the judiciary. He had no problem with the judge’s order and that is why he himself has not appealed against it. But he would not ask for the resignation of George who has misused the chief whip’s position to settle personal scores against the judge. This is a classic case of hunting with the hound and running with the hare! The CM’s refusal to pressure George into withdrawing the letter or seek his resignation has further eroded his image and reputation, which has already suffered a nosedive.

While Chandy has been mealy-mouthed in his reaction, two Congress MLAs, V D Satheeshan and TN Prathapan have been openly critical of George’s letter to the President. Both said the unconstitutional act would set a bad and dangerous precedent and needed to be nipped in the bud. In other words, If complaints of the kind made by George were to be entertained, judges won’t be able to perform at all. Even former CJI V R Krishna Iyer, who had criticised the vigilance court judge’s order, has deplored George’s personal attacks on him.

A section of George’s own party, KC(M) has taken strong exception to his action. The PJ Joseph faction, which had merged in the KC(M) before the assembly elections, savaged George’s letter saying that he had acted without consulting the party in the matter. However, KC(M) chief K M Mani has defended George saying that he had made the complaint in his personal capacity. Mani has chosen to conveniently forget that George’s refusal to have the matter discussed in the party forum amounts to grave indiscipline.

Of course, this is not the first time that Oommen Chandy Government has betrayed its lack of respect for judiciary. When the MA Nissar commission which probed the Kasargod violence, came out with a report which was strongly critical of the role of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in the violence, Chandy lost no time in disbanding the commission itself, bowing to the pressure of IUML, without whose support his ministry cannot survive even for a day.

Again, the Chandy Government is dragging its feet in the matter of taking over the land of Socialist Janata (Democratic) MLA Shreyams Kumar J against whom the Kerala High Court had passed severe strictures for encroaching on land belonging to adivasis. Kumar had moved the apex court against the HC order, but the Supreme Court refused to grant him a stay. Instead, it has asked the Kerala HC to see to it that the land is taken over within two weeks. But the Chandy Government is still hesitating to implement the SC order.

There is no gainsaying the fact that L’affaire George has left the reputation and credibility of the Oommen Chandy Government in tatters. Unless the party high command intervenes and asks the Kerala unit to desist from such anti-judiciary acts, the party will have to pay a heavy political price. Is Congress president Sonia Gandhi listening? (IPA Service)