Retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has come down hard on Arvind Kejriwal for vowing to declare Amritsar a ‘holy city’ if AAP is voted to power in Punjab

NEW DELHI: Retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has come down hard on Arvind Kejriwal for vowing to declare Amritsar a ‘holy city’ if AAP is voted to power in Punjab.

In a Facebook post, Katju said that the AAP convenor has ‘stooped to the lowest level’ with this announcement, and has exposed himself as a mere demagogue and mountebank ‘who has nothing in his head, but can go to any low level to get votes.’

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is currently touring Punjab, had announced ‘holy city’ status for Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib if the AAP comes to power in Punjab. He also promised to prohibit consumption of alcohol, meat and tobacco within the walled city of Amritsar.
Katju pointed out that if a precedent is set, similar demands can come from Allahabad ( Prayag ), Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Puri, Dwarka, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Gaya, Maheshwar, Madurai, and Ajmer.

Katju decried such appeals in the name of religion as ‘good vote catching device, but totally reactionary and feudal, and damaging to the country’s secular fabric.’

Recalling history, Katju drew attention to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid controversy. He said the issue propelled the BJP to power but resulted in a ‘colossal damage’ to the country.

In reply to a comment to his Facebook post, Katju said he was mistaken earlier when he had called Kejriwal an ‘honest’ man. He also called the demand for ‘holy city’ tags as ‘nonsensical.’

Bureau Report