The news of bail to both the nuns by a special NIA court in Durg, Chhattisgarh, comes as a relief for many worried about the state of communal bias in the functioning of the law enforcement and investigating agencies. Both nuns were arrested on Monday, by the police on charges of alleged human trafficking and forced conversion. The arrest had kicked of a political storm with all the parties from Kerala raising the issue and visiting Durg in solidarity with the nuns. As we had recently commented on the professional competence of the NIA, our observation stands vindicated within 3 days. Trial courts granting bail in any sensitive case has become a rarity, even the chief justice of the Supreme Court has reminded them of it. However the standard of prosecution in this case is evident when the special court grants bail in the first instance, calling the arrest and charges improper and hasty. Such a decision against the NIA also hints at the source of the haste. The case was initiated after a complaint and ruckus by the bajrang dal. Seen in a bigger frame all over the country, it seems that the state apparatus has been overwhelmed by the hindutva storm troopers and their it cell trolls. This has destroyed the credibility of the state, and the country’s image. The destruction of the social fabric of the country is almost total. What is most striking about this case, is the double standards of the bjp. While the local bjp state government adopted a strict stand, calling it a part of a larger conspiracy and organized crime, its Kerala wing was head over heels, in defending the nuns. Its state president Rajiv Chandrasekhar not only visited them in prison but was present to receive them upon their release. Kerala goes to polls in less than a year now, and the 18% Christian voters are the BJP’s biggest target. The high clergy have adopted an anti Muslim stance, aligning with the RSS and it’s hopeful of breaching its final frontier. This open display of double standards, would have embarrassed any other party, but the current bjp leadership has mastered the art of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. It has a blanket, unconditional support of its core supporters and can afford such political gambles.
Immune from political scrutiny
