Regressive politics contrary to Constitution: CJI

NEW DELHI: With mindless violence unleashed by Raj Thackeray���s MNS against north Indians fresh in the mind, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Tuesday condemned regressive politics as the biggest threat to the Constitution of India.

Voicing his concern at the belligerent posture struck by political parties over divisive issues, Mr Balakrishnan told a conference here that the regressive brand of politics was contrary to principles that ���our Constitution stands for.���

���There have been several instances of senseless violence in recent times to polarise the nation for the flimsiest of reasons,��� he said addressing a conference on National Value Crisis and Redressal.

���In a pluralistic society, there are bound to be differences, but with maturity of democracy these differences should be resolved amicably,��� he advised. Attacks by MNS activists on north Indians based in Mumbai and other key towns of Maharashtra had led to massive outrage from Opposition parties like JD(U) and BSP, as well as from UPA allies like SP, RJD and LJP.

LJP president and Union minister for steel and mines Ram Vilas Paswan even went to the extent of demanding imposition of President���s rule in Maharashtra to stop victimisation of migrants from UP and Bihar. Subsequent advisories to the Maharashtra government seeking an end to MNS��� terror did little to salvage the situation. Things got uglier when an armed Bihar youth Rahul Raj, who had tried to hijack a BEST bus in Mumbai, was shot dead by Mumbai police.

Though Maharashtra home minister defended the police action with a ���bullet for a bullet��� statement, Bihar political leaders were up in arms against the ���unprovoked shooting��� of Rahul Raj. At a cabinet meeting, both Mr Lalu Prasad and Mr Paswan demanded a judicial probe into the police action against Rahul Raj, even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his helplessness in persuading the Maharashtra government to accept the same.

At the conference on Tuesday, CJI Balakrishnan expressed concern over degradation of moral values in the judiciary. ���There have been allegations against higher judiciary in recent days. It has raised question on who would watch the watchdog,��� he said adding that ���our national values are deeply eroding at this time.���