The Union Home Minister is an office with one of the highest responsibility. In Indian political history this office has done wonders when the chair was occupied by the legends such as Sardar Patel. However, now the things have changed for worse.
Patil, The Union Home Minister of India, recently compared Afzal Guru, a convicted terrorist, with Sarbajeet Singh who is caught by Pakistan on wrong accusations. In a press meet the minister went on comparing the two and argued how they can ask for a death sentence for Afzal Guru when they are asking pardon for Sarbajeet. The union minister has done a grave mistake by comparing apples with oranges. Either he does not know that such comparison is a token of intellectual bankruptcy or a classic case of gross negligence and ignorance. It seems that he does not understand that by comparing Sarbjeet with a proven terrorist, he is admitting that the Indian prisoner also stand in the same category.
However this is not the first instance from the Latur based politician. The minister goofed last week, when the Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje spoke about the 'search instructions' on Bangladeshis. The union was not willing to talk and again Patil gave a confused answer. However, as a leading daily came out with the documents to that effect, the minister fell flat on the face.
Just a couple of months ago, at a time when Raj Thakrey, made a big bang in Maharashtra, the same fellow went on talking 'Mee rashtracha, Maharashtracha nahi' (I belong to the country and not to the state). The statement left awestruck many of his partymen in the state and his voters, if any. Patil had long back lost the confidence of the people in his constituency. He lost the last Parliamentary elections with a large margin when Congress was victorious all over. The man made to this office due to his good links with the party high command. As usual he had bowed and hence he was given the honour. Now he is trying his level best to show his loyalty with his Delhi based bosses and have forgotten rest of the world. All these things put together are more than enough to lose confidence of the people in Maharashtra and India.
It is high time he retire on his own. The person yet was in good books of the Congress high command. However after his recent speech, it is obvious that the UPA government will be forced to pay for this. Before the congress high command decides, it makes more sense he himself steps down and spends some happy days with his grand children. We are more than thankful to him for his services towards the nation. |
