NEW DELHI: Ram Jethmalani has appealed to Bharatiya Janata Party leaders not to seek the reenactment of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (prevention) Act (TADA).
In a strongly worded letter, Jethmalani reminded the BJP leader that 20 years ago on becoming party to the Janata Party coalition government after Emergency they had made the same mistake when they tried to push through a criminal procedure (amendment) bill incorporating in it the provisions of the maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
He reminded them how he had led campaign against it and how under the pressure from the rank and file the then ruling Janata Party in which Atal Behari Vajpayee L.K. Advani were ministers was compelled to drop the Bill.
“You have forgotten this too, No wonder, some detect in you want of commitment to the perennial principles of liberty. Some even suggest that you are fascists masquerading and democrats,” said Jethmalani.
He said the present government was doing exactly what the Janata government wanted to do 20 years ago. “And you have become the allies of the ‘government, you almost make K.K. Tewari’s charge that the Narasimha Rao government is Benami BJP government, plausible,” he asserted,
“TADA will go but it will take Narasimha Rao, Chavan & Co, with it. You too are forfeiting the respect and confidence of all right thinking people, it is my humble advice to you to desist from this course. Today you feel comfortable that TADA is being used against others. One day it will be used against you,” Jethmalani cautioned the BJP leaders.
“Do not become parties to soiling ‘our statute book and scuttling constitutional values. It is not a Hindu Muslim question. It is a question of the credibility of Indian commitment to freedom and the rule of law,” he ‘concluded.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 2, 1995
