It is quite extraordinary that Anna Hazare’s former acolyte Arvind Kejriwal, with whose priorities and style of functioning the Maharashtra social reformer — who sought to raise awareness about the play of corruption in national life — appears alienated, should be hell bent on targeting Union law minister Salman Khurshid.
A television channel linked to a well-known current affairs publication has alleged wrongdoing in the operation of a trust run by Mr Khurshid and his wife that has received Central government funds to help disabled persons. The sums involved are pedestrian as these things go, but that is hardly the point. No violation of laws or procedures should be tolerated. Anyhow, the charges have been stoutly denied by the minister and his wife Louise. Mr Khurshid has also filed defamation cases in Mumbai, Delhi and London.
Two other noteworthy developments attend this case. A social activist has taken the allegations and the trust’s workings to the Allahabad high court. Besides, a few months ago, before muck-raking started in respect of the law minister, the Khurshids themselves asked the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct an inquiry into certain aspects of their own trust whose work is related to that state.
In the event it is common sense that we wait for these channels to produce an outcome and restrain any urge in the interim to rush to pronounce people guilty or ask the minister to resign. That is the way of the mob. A democracy with composure should handle itself differently.