In politics, today’s enemy can be tomorrow’s best friend: Supreme Court

New Delhi: An Aam Admi Party propped up by the Congress to form the government in Delhi; the Congress and BJP coming together to oppose the same Aam Admi Party’s Janlokpal Bill – these demonstrate that there are no permanent enemies or friends in politics, the Supreme Court observed on Friday.

A bench comprising justices R M Lodha and N V Ramana said today: “In India, the situation can change. The same party can support and the same party can oppose." The bench was hearing a petition by AAP challenging the imposition of President's Rule in Delhi.

There can always be a party that is supporting another in one state and opposing it in other states, the bench observed, adding, "In Delhi, the candidate who defeated the sitting chief minister got support of her party to form the government."

"And when the party in power came out with the Janlokpal Bill, the ‘supporting’ Congress joined hands with arch rival BJP to stop the bill from being tabled in the Assembly,” the judges said while deliberating on the scenario that made the Lt Governor recommend the Assembly be under suspended animation. "Today's enemy can be a tomorrow's friend and can be a best friend," the bench said.

The bench referred to the sequence of events leading to the formation of the AAP government and its debacle after 48 days. It said: "All of them supported each other."

"BJP, the main opposition in the Assembly supported the Congress and the Congress supported the BJP when the AAP government came out with the Janlokpal Bill."

The bench said two things clearly emerged from the Delhi episode: “nothing is impossible" and "if two parties do not meet on one platform there is possibility they can meet on some other platform”.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court has also asked the BJP and the Congress to clarify their position on keeping the Delhi Assembly under suspended animation for a year.

The apex court, which earlier had kept the two parties away from the hearing, decided to know their stand, after noting that neither the BJP nor the Congress had made their position clear on government formation following the resignation of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The bench was also looking for an answer on "how the President's order can say the Assembly has to be kept under suspended animation for a year".