AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa’s acquittal invoked mixed reactions from political parties. Some congratulated, few criticised and the rest like the Congress kept silent.
Among the prominent leaders to wish Jayalalithaa were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Union Minorities Welfare Minister Najma Heptullah and Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosiah.
“Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (Revolutionary leader-Amma) and extended his greetings,” an AIADMK release said. Modi and Jayalalithaa are said to enjoy cordial relations with the former attending her swearing-in ceremony as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in 2011. The AIADMK supremo returned the favour by attending his swearing-in ceremony as Gujarat Chief Minister the next year.
Interestingly, Opposition CPI and MDMK also greeted Jayalalithaa. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI national Secretary Atul Kumar Ranjan, TMC leader GK Vasan, MDMK founder Vaiko, BJP’s National Secretary H Raja, AIADMK allies — Indian Republic Party, AISMK, AIFB and Tamil Nadu Kongu Peravai also extended their greetings to her, the release said.
Often critical of the ruling AIADMK, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit greeted Jayalalithaa upon her acquittal. “Court verdict has been delivered... I wish to greet (Jayalalithaa) in winning the case,” said BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit president, Tamizhisai Sounderrajan.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) demanded that the Karnataka Government move the Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal.
“This is not a final verdict. In this background Karnataka Government should appeal in the Supreme Court against Jayalalithaa’s acquittal,” CPI (M) State secretary G Ramakrishnan said. CPI National Secretary D Raja said in Delhi that the verdict would have an impact on the politics of Tamil Nadu. PMK founder S Ramadoss said Jayalalithaa’s acquittal was a “loss to democracy and justice”.
While Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan said in a release that “while no aspersions should be cast against a judicial verdict, one has the right to criticise it,” leaders in Delhi stayed mum saying they do not comment on judicial orders.
DMK president M Karunanidhi said this was not the final verdict. “What has been pronounced today is not the final verdict. I would like to remind one and all about Mahatma Gandhi’s saying there is a court above all courts and that is conscience,” he said in a statement. Recalling Justice Kumaraswamy’s queries to AIADMK counsel during one of the hearings, Karunanidhi said that he had asked them to clarify on various findings made by the lower court judge and that they should counter each of those ‘knots’ with proper proof. “Have the knots mentioned by Justice Kumaraswamy untied now,” he asked.
“The appeal (by Jayalalithaa against the lower court verdict) was fast tracked in an unprecedented manner and the DMK had to step in at every juncture to try and ensure that this case did not turn out to be a farce. The prosecution was given one day to submit its written argument while the defence was given two months,” DMK leader M K Stalin said.
“The people of our country can draw their own conclusions from this judgement,” he added.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, the first complainant in the case against Jayalalithaa said the High Court’s judgement was surprising.
“It’s not an unusual thing. When you are in a democratic system, then such twists and turns are expected. We can’t do much about it because delays are done by the accused. She (Jayalalithaa) has now earned the right to be sworn as the Chief Minister again,” he said.
Swamy said he will wait for the action from the Karnataka Government’s side as the prosecutor in the case. “I will wait for the action from Karnataka Government’s side. The appeal time limit is 90 days. I will take a call by August after seeing the move from the prosecution side on appeal to Supreme Court,” he added.
Noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan came down heavily on judiciary on the acquittal of Jayalalithaa. “The Karnataka High Court’s decision to set aside the conviction of Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case is bound to raise serious questions about the fairness of the Judicial System and its ability or lack of it to withstand the pressures and influence of powerful people,” said Bhushan.
“It is unfortunate that the judiciary gives all kinds of indulgence to powerful individuals and grants them bails and acquittals, while thousands of undertrials languish in jail, a large number of whom are found to be innocent. Powerful persons like Jayalalita or Salman Khan manage to get bail despite convictions for serious offences, and also manage to get acquittals sometimes after farcical appeal proceedings. This is a scathing indictment of the judiciary and the criminal justice system,” added Bhushan terming the judgement as “black day in the judiciary.