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A group of Dalit intellectuals, academics and representatives of social justice organisations has written an open letter to the leadership of the Indian National Congress, questioning the partys intervention in the Ankita Bhandari case and alleging that social justice and constitutional morality are being invoked selectively for political purposes.
Titled Congresss Political Opportunism and Selective Social Justice, the letter raises questions over the Congress leaderships participation in the protest at India Gate in connection with the case. The signatories have questioned whether social justice remains a consistent political principle for the party or is being used as an instrument to target political opponents. In the letter addressed to the Congress leadership, the signatories said constitutional values should not become tools of political convenience. They clarified that their objection was not to democratic protests, public scrutiny or institutional accountability, but to what they described as the selective invocation of principles that should apply universally. A party that routinely lectures the nation on constitutional morality must demonstrate consistency in its own political conduct, the letter stated. The signatories said the issue holds particular significance for the Dalit community, citing generations of Ambedkarite movements that have struggled for equality before the law, institutional accountability and the substantive realisation of social justice. They argued that these ideals should not be reduced to political rhetoric and emphasised that the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar demands intellectual honesty, principled conduct and equal standards of accountability. The letter urged the Congress leadership to reflect on the perception that its commitment to social justice becomes more prominent when controversies provide an opportunity to challenge political opponents. Social justice cannot be selective. Constitutional morality cannot be convenient. And Babasaheb Ambedkars legacy cannot be reduced to a partisan instrument, the signatories said. They further maintained that political parties must uphold constitutional principles consistently, irrespective of the political affiliations of those involved in a controversy. According to the letter, genuine commitment to equality requires a politics guided by institutional responsibility and adherence to the same standards of accountability in every case. The signatories also stressed that their appeal was rooted in the broader principles of constitutional values and social justice, asserting that these principles should transcend partisan considerations. India deserves a politics guided by consistent principles, institutional responsibility and genuine commitment to equalitynot selective outrage dictated by political expediency, the letter stated. The open letter has been signed by representatives associated with social justice organisations across several locations, including Durgapur in West Bengal, Bokaro and Ranchi in Jharkhand, Rourkela in Odisha, Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Chandrapur in Maharashtra, Bhadravati in Karnataka and Salem in Tamil Nadu. The letter places the Congress partys political response to the Ankita Bhandari case under scrutiny, calling for consistency in its stated commitment to constitutional morality, equality and social justice. There was no response from the Congress leadership included in the letter provided. (ANI)
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