"Though bitter foes in open light /They join their hands in shadowed night/For when the prize is gold and greed/Even rivals find the friends they need”
What the above poetic observation of harmony between the criminals suggests is that even when at each other's throats, the corrupt and the criminal will always make common cause to protect their spoils.
A powerful historical anecdote for this perception is the formation of The Commission, including a “judicial body” by the Italian-American Mafia in 1931 to prevent internal wars and to keep the corrupt system stable for decades, proving that even the most violent rivals will cooperate as a "business" to preserve their shared immunity and wealth.
Today, in Telangana’s centres of power, this ancient "business" logic is evolving locally. While political leaders argue publicly, a more deliberate process is happening behind the scenes. They seem to follow an unspoken rule: use strong words about revealing wrongdoing, but ensure no serious action is taken.
The recent fire at the Telangana State Forensic Science Laboratory (TSFSL) in Hyderabad is a perfect example of this suspicious cooperation, especially considering how quickly the political accusations began to fly.
Even before the fire was put out and the smoke was cleared, BRS party leaders went on social media to claim that it was not a fire by accident, but by design. They argued the fire was started on purpose to destroy evidence, specifically mentioning the well-known "Cash-for-Vote" case.
However, the narrative immediately hit a wall of logic. If the reports were to go by, the laboratory also housed sensitive case properties related to the Phone Tapping case, a scandal that strikes at the very heart of the BRS’ own former administration.
If one accepts the opposition’s premise that the fire was an act of design, a "million-dollar criminal question" emerges: Why would any political actor burn down the very building that holds the legal ammunition needed to destroy their rival?
The answer lies in the poetic reality of the corrupt: “For when the prize is gold and greed / Even rivals find the friends they need.”
However, FSL authorities clarified that all material objects from the 2015 "Cash for Vote" case were returned to the court years ago and that of the 136 items related to the phone-tapping probe, nearly all have been examined, with the remaining seven safely retrieved from the smoke.
If the allegations of conspiracy to erase the evidence by the opposition was true the question is: Are both rivals who engaged in a high-decibel "naming and shaming" ritual, not interested in a logical legal end to the cases?
Are the legal cases pertaining to political leadership often treated as perpetual leverage rather than paths to justice in the high-stakes game of Telangana politics?
The theatrics surrounding the TSFSL fire suggest that neither side is truly ready to set the "applecart" ablaze. Instead, they prefer a state of controlled chaos, where accusations fly, evidence "smoulders," and the status quo of mutual immunity remains untouched.
In this game of power, there is a quiet agreement: shout loudly in public speeches while staying quiet on the legal front, because you might need their help when it is your turn to face the heat. It is a ‘Hum Saath Saath hai” (we are all in this together) mindset that protects everyone at the top.
Looking at the situation now, is it a new political script in the making?
As the BJP tries to grow into a major power in the state, the Congress and BRS leadership may have decided that "enough is enough." They might be avoiding a total war against each other out of fear that destroying their rival would simply open the door for the BJP to take over that space. In this sense, protecting their rival is actually a strategy to keep a third player from replacing them.
Hence, accusations regarding the fire might be part of a "controlled fight" where neither side truly intends to eliminate the other legally in the face of growing challenge from the BJP. A calculated decision to stop short of total political destruction to maintain the existing two-party balance.
Whether the fire accident in FSL where evidence of high-profile cases were housed caused by accident or an alleged design, the result is the same: when political rivals work together behind the scenes to delay justice, the accused stay safe while the law suffers.
Ultimately, politics here isn't about stopping corruption, it’s about keeping the system stable so every leader eventually gets a chance to enjoy the spoils.
