‘The recent court case filed against Shashi Tharoor, M.P,  is nothing but a political witch hunt designed to silence a strong and steady voice of pluralism and democracy’ said George Abraham, Vice-Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA.  “What the BJP government is engaged in is politics of personal destruction to demonize and destroys the opposition by weaponizing the law enforcement agencies” Mr. Abraham added.

Mr. Shashi Tharoor who has served as the Under-Secretary-General and ran and lost the election to the top post at the United Nations is not only an ardent advocate of India and its heritage but also an eminent scholar, thinker, and writer who is well respected throughout the world.

The death of his wife is a truly tragic incident and but to politicize it through criminal prosecution because he is an influential member of the opposition is a black mark on India's democracy and the system of jurisprudence.

The utter hypocrisy on display from the side of BJP on these matters is quite astounding.    A recent report highlights a BJP Union minister Jayant Sinha garlanding murder convicts who have lynched Alimuddin Ansari on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his car! The recent verdicts on Mecca Masjid and Loya case also have indeed shaken the confidence of many of an independent judicial system in India.

If real democracy is to survive, there have to be freedom of expression and competing political parties who would vie for people’s confidence without fear or repercussions. However, in India today an increasing sense of foreboding is gripping the nation where the ruling party has vowed to make India, ‘Congress-free.’  The growing prosecution of political adversaries is not a sign of a maturing democracy but somewhat political vendettas practiced mainly in banana republics.

Thousands of farmers have committed suicides since the BJP has taken reins of power. Some of these deaths can be directly attributed to the misguided policies of the current government that includes demonetization. Maybe, it is high time to ask who abetted the deaths of these poor farmers!


George Abraham, Indian Overseas Congress, USA Vice-Chairman