Daily Times

For quite some time, a re-energised Indian opposition leader with his flamboyant beard and crass taglines had been determinedly trudging along the crusade to point to the elephant in the room. When others jubilantly bowed down to the official narrative, he dared raise his head and asked discomforting questions; unfazed by the political repercussions.

Though the days were numbered, to begin with, the libel axe has finally fallen and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is all set to be castigated by the tribulations of politics. A two-year prison sentence and disqualification from his membership in the Lok Sabha, screams the hefty price tag, for daring to question the overarching Modi authority.

That wading through the maximum sentence and a political knockout would have lasting consequences for both Mr Gandhi and his party in the upcoming elections is an understatement. Because by unleashing the thorned baton, the authorities have done much, much more than push a rival to the sidelines.

Not many would have the stomach to endure the repercussions of putting their finger on the ruling BJP’s calling cards. Modi’s administration has gained considerable notoriety in the last few years for using the law to silence its dissidents.

May it be his chief opponent in Gujarat, those trying to raise a separatist flag in Punjab or begging the international community to pay heed to their grievances in occupied Kashmir; one meaningful echo of the gavel is enough to quash opposition.

As for a mainstream politician having his career overwhelmed by a conviction that has sent shockwaves in all quarters over its regressive nature and little probative value in a modern democracy, we, at Daily Times, could only offer profound regrets.

What this would mean for a so-called secular democracy swerving towards the edge of its existential precipice remains to be seen, but as of now, the writing on the wall asks of everyone: beware, beware, for the colonial boogeyman is here. *