Text Size: A- A+

Some call this move cheating, others call it the death of democracy. I call this ‘a blessing in disguise’.

Yes, Yogi Adityanath is withdrawing a criminal case against himself. So what?

Not even a week has passed since the 2G and Adarsh verdicts came out, and liberals in our country have already started blaming the government. They are now angry over the new bill being tabled in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, which seeks to withdraw over 20,000 cases against various politicians, including CM Adityanath.

Focusing on negative news has become a big pastime for some people in our country. Be it the children dying in Gorakhpur, or some Union minister boasting about how BJP is here to change the Constitution of our country, the Baba-bhakts going on the rampage in Haryana, MLAs threatening to behead Bollywood actors, multiple train derailments or lynchings.

This year has seen almost an endless supply of negative news against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

Every coin has two sides. Even a lotus blooming in marsh has some thorns of positivity, so does this new decision by Adityanath to withdraw the case against himself.

Some call this cheating; others call it the death of democracy. I call this ‘a blessing in disguise’. Once again, anti-government trolls fail to see the real purpose. This move is originally meant to provide hopes to 20,000 people in Uttar Pradesh.

It is said that justice delayed is justice denied. We all are aware of the state of judiciary in our country, with lakhs of pending cases, and people being denied justice. Amid all this, one brave man decides to help fix our broken judiciary by putting an end to 20,000 criminal cases at one go. This is probably what is called ‘fast-track’ justice. It won’t be long before one begins to receive WhatsApp messages that spins this as a much-needed judicial reform.

Adityanath has become the first chief minister in India to withdraw a case against himself. This is what makes the new order nothing less than a nationalistic masterstroke, pretty much like demonetisation.

A negative-minded, liberal-hater may question the moral implications of this move. But put a hand on your heart, close your eyes and ask yourself with a open, clean mind:

“Do you really believe a saint like Yogi Adityanath is guilty of any crime?”

It doesn’t take a lawyer to know the answer.

Fake cases were slapped on him by opposition parties. So why waste 22 years and the time of our courts to come to this expected conclusion? He is being exclusively targeted because he dares to wear saffron-coloured clothes.

How else would you explain the lack of outrage in the following cases? What about Akhilesh Yadav withdrawing cases against Azam Khan? What about Mulayam withdrawing cases filed by Mayawati? What about Nitish withdrawing cases against Lalu when they became allies? What about Badals withdrawing cases against Amarinder Singh?

Liberals would at this point criticise me for indulging in whataboutery. But it was whataboutery that the erstwhile Soviet Union used vigorously. The positive thinkers and the nationalists will also use this as a tool to shape a New India.

For now, let UP chief minister implement the Swachh Bharat in his state — by cleaning up police and court files.

Dhruv Rathee is an activist and YouTuber

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram

Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it You are reading this because you value good, intelligent and objective journalism. We thank you for your time and your trust. You also know that the news media is facing an unprecedented crisis. It is likely that you are also hearing of the brutal layoffs and pay-cuts hitting the industry. There are many reasons why the media’s economics is broken. But a big one is that good people are not yet paying enough for good journalism. We have a newsroom filled with talented young reporters. We also have the country’s most robust editing and fact-checking team, finest news photographers and video professionals. We are building India’s most ambitious and energetic news platform. And have just turned three. At ThePrint, we invest in quality journalists. We pay them fairly. As you may have noticed, we do not flinch from spending whatever it takes to make sure our reporters reach where the story is. This comes with a sizable cost. For us to continue bringing quality journalism, we need readers like you to pay for it. If you think we deserve your support, do join us in this endeavour to strengthen fair, free, courageous and questioning journalism. Please click on the link below. Your support will define ThePrint’s future. Support Our Journalism

Show Full Article