LAWMAKERS MUST NOT ACT ABOVE THE LAW

 Ashok Rai, Congress MLA from Puttur, openly encouraged a cockfight despite a government ban. This was not a casual presence—it was a deliberate defiance of the law and a challenge to police officers performing their duty.

Cockfighting is illegal. Organising, participating, or witnessing it creates an unlawful assembly. The police acted correctly by intervening and registering cases against all involved, including the MLA. Any failure to enforce the law would have been dereliction of duty. Citizens and media must support officers who uphold the law, especially when powerful figures attempt to intimidate them.

What makes this worse is that a lawmaker tried to place himself above the law. Ashok Rai asked the police to withdraw, defended the illegal activity as a “folk game,” and promised to pay the legal costs of those accused. This behaviour sends a dangerous message: that influence and money can override legal responsibility.

This is not an isolated incident. Earlier controversies—the demolition of a house near the Puttur temple and reported intimidation of a woman municipal official—show a pattern of disregard for law and ethics. Repeated violations by a public representative erode trust in institutions and normalize impunity.

Lawmakers exist to uphold the law, not undermine it. Public censure of Ashok Rai is necessary. This is not about prejudging courts; it is about defending the principle that no one, including elected officials, is above the law. Citizens, media, and political leadership must insist on accountability. Silence or inaction in the face of such conduct is itself a betrayal of democracy.