If Digvijaya Singh is their brand ambassador, God save the Congress

Diggy, the Rahul acolyte

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's statement on Mumbai blasts suggests that the party has become victim of a twisted mindset where it sees hand of RSS in every terrorist act. It is unfortunate that Congress has made such leaders its Brand Ambassadors. This vote bank politics spreads communalism and serves the interests of terrorists who want to divide the country on communal lines.

Ironically, it is the Congress leaders who see a communal hand in even innocuous acts of the Sangh Parivar. I am not giving a clean chit to the Parivar fellows, but Congress’s indulging in a propaganda on a matter on which their hands are equally – though differently – dirty, does not wash either.

It is worse that Diggy is seen not only as one who speaks all nonsense on behalf of Sonia and Rahul, he is the party’s torch bearer in UP and a close associate of Rahul. Heis a courtesan waiting for the day his boss becomes the country’s PM. In this respect he is more dangerous than his mentor, the wily Arjun Singh. Dangerous for the boss as well as the party.
You may like to see my earlier take on Rahul's SS-Simi link and Diggy's cussed secularism. 

Like Rawana’s and Duryodhana’s armies, the head count in Manmohan Singh’s army goes on!

Manmohan Singh's cabinet: Rawana's falling army?

Rawana – the king of Lanka – happens to send his trusted aides one by one to fight Lord Ram’s army. When Rawana gets the news that his valiant commanders are killed, he doesn’t repent a bit and sends his son, Meghnad to the battle ground. When the son is killed too, he sends his brother, Ahirawana and so on, till his own end.

Duryodhana – the kaurava king of Mahabharata fame – also loses his commanders one by one, till none is left to fight.

Is the same saga being replayed in UPA-II ? Kalmadi [though not a minister, but powerful Congress leader] gone… Raja gone… Kani [close ally Karunanidhi’s daughter, no less] gone… Ashok Chauhan gone… Maran gone… Iqbal Singh and Lalli [close associates of Manmohan: Puducherry governor and Prasar Bharti CEO] in trouble… PJ Thomas gone… Murli Deora almost going… Hasan Ali, Lavasa, Radia and Devas-Antrix deal behind us…

There are reports that PM’s approvals in coal block auction are suspect too. He has not only been keeping the people of suspect integrity in high places and in his cabinet, he made Raja his minister again after knowing that he was doing mischief I UPA I. He has acted in a few cases, but only after the civil society, opposition or courts forced him to do so. What is Dr Mamnohan Singh waiting for to happen, before he gets counted?

I think, he has many people to look up to, who have stuck to power despite all the muck on their faces: P Chidambaram doggedly holding his fort despite his commissions getting exposed again and again… President Patil is in the top position while carrying a cooperative-scam blot on her sari… Pawar holding key position in his cabinet despite his name cropping up again and again… Praful Patel becoming cabinet minister after making Air India bankrupt to help his friends’ companies…

Kapil Sibal, Chidu and Bhardwaj: look at your public face, Sonia!

If the UPA claims to be a party that cares for the common man, and it indeed comes out with some very good poor-friendly and citizen-friendly programmes, why does it not have people at the helm those who care for the people? People who are above reproach? People who really represent people? People who are not always soaked in their elitism and arrogance, machinations, pettinesses and a contempt for the real India?

Take Chidu. His public stand on naxalism, Telangana, anti-Christian violence in Orissa, centre-state relations…. You name the topic and we can tell you how he bungled the issues and made it worse to handle. A politician who won his seat with state power, and all his party candidates lost in the recent legislative elections, does he  deserve to be the federal home minister? You might say, he is efficient; then, bring a strategist, an MBA or a proven administrator to hold this post. At least we’ll get rid of terrorism and naxalism, if nothing else.

Take Sibal. He is 'contempt for others' personified. Nobody can have ideas better than him. Nobody can, of course, beat his connections among Delhi’s super rich. He bungles again and again and the government finds him fit to negotiate with the civil society. Remember how he messed up negotiations with Anna before they could barely be salvaged? Now, his utterly opaque and cunning talks with Baba Ramdev and its aftermath has left your party bruised in public eyes like never before. Yes, his second innings with Anna too is proving a disaster.

Bharadwaj. Does he deserve to be a governor? A governor who plays petty politics with his ‘own’ government in the state has no right to be there. He should represents the state and he should also represents the centre, so he has to be a very mature, impartial patron rather than a party to the games state’s politicians are playing.

If you allow such cronies to represent your government, madam, the charge of remote control and being anti-public will stick on you. Only you are there to blame for your fall, if you do not encourage honest politicians with mass base. Your people-friendly policies will bring you no votes either if these brats spoil your case again and again. You have shown maturity and grace before, you must show it now with your acts. Only then the people will like you, vote for you and give you the respect you deserve.

My quick simple posers to Kapil Sibal

When you negotiated with Anna and Baba Ramdev, did you represent me through the government or you represented Congress? Yes, because you did not represent us, the countrymen, you showed your ugly face when you failed.

You say, a baba should do yoga and not meddle in politics. Since when has politics become the exclusive domain of super-rich lawyers like you?

Is the wealth accumulated by you through legal practice reasonable? Have you not earned it by taking up rich people’s cases? How many cases of public good have you fought?

Why can’t you keep your mouth shut when it is not required? Only because you can speak well should you talk nonsense again and again?

What makes you a negotiator? Your being a good lawyer and the cunningness that you possess? You messed up negotiations with Anna and Baba Ramdev so badly because you felt, you will ‘defeat’ them through your lies and machinations?

Joshi‘s PAC and Congress intrigues

Dr MM Joshi, PAC chief

Parliamentary bodies have been created to sort out matters that would be lost to party politics in the full house, but nowadays parliamentary committees have also become kabaddi play grounds between the ruling and opposition formations.

Dr Muli Manohar Joshi is known to be rigid guy. Tose who know him closely say that his stagnation within BJP too is partly due to his inflexible approach. When the opposition’s demand for JPC on 2G scam had generated heat enough that it had become an embarrassment for the ruling coalition, Joshi smelled an opportunity to show his power as PAC chief. In fact, BJP had to come to terms with him when he declared that PAC would look into 2G irrespective of the JPC.

Joshi’s report, as leaked to the press, is a document that embarrasses Congress, especially the PM. If during depositions and examination of papers in JPC, certain omissions and commissions came to light, it is the duty of the PAC to bring them in the report. There is the issue of using moderate or harsh wordings and making inferences out of weak evidence. Being what he is, Joshi could not have given a report that exonerates PM, and – as reported in the press – there is surefooted evidence against PM’s inaction and wrong action by people close to the PMO. A more flexible chairman would perhaps tried to reach consensus and allowed differing opinions, including his, as annexures to the report.

But what Congress is resorting to is also what Congress is supposed to do. [For that matter, which other party that is there in India today would not do that?] So, it gathered the scam tainted and CBI hounded parties – Mayawati’s BSP, Mulayam’s SP and DMK – to cobble up majority within PAC and reject the PAC report.

Congress does not have conviction to clean up its governance systems and courage to accept criticism. Joshi does not have courtesy and humility to reach sort of consensus in drafting the PAC report. All parties swear by parliamentary democracy, and PAC has very senior parliamentarians as members. If they cannot rise over their party stands even in parliamentary committees, it only shows the immaturity of our democratic institutions even after sixty years of their working.

PS: JPC will not only have severe divisions: BJP will try to avenge its defeat in PAC, Congress will be more vociferous, and Chako is no angel.

Anna being pitched against Ambedkar: cunning plot!

As we have alreday stated on this India News Today post, there would be different views on the way Lokpal Bill has to be drafted and many more views on how corruption can be tackled. Anna's close colleagues also do not seem unanimous on all counts. A number of newspapers have been critical of the draft of Jan Lokpal Bill as proposed by the activists. Different shades of opinion are what make a democracy vibrant.

Do you think, the spirit and tools adopted by Anna are against the constitution? The government nominees in the drafting committee would let Anna or his people - legal luminaries included - do something that is against the constitution?

However, to hold a rally against the proposed Lokpal Bill in the name of constitution is not resistance but a ploy to derail the process of weeding out corruption in public life. Who other than those with vested interst in corruption would do this? Such elements seem to have found a helping hand from anti-Anna Maharashtrian lobbies. They feel, by invoking Ambedkar they would also confuse and thus sway dalits too to their side.

It is said that patriotism is the last refuse of scoundrels. The proposed rally seems to be last refuse of the scoundrels in the garb of protectors of the constitution.

Why does Manmohan Singh gets so pissed off with judicial activism?

Why does this guy look green these days?

We saw a high level of judicial activism a decade back when the administration was falling apart. This time again, as more and more scams have come to surface. The first time this Prime Minister was voted to power, there was a greater sense of administration and the top judiciary took some break. 


It is ironical that the same Prime Minister is sitting over a mound of huge scams, inaction and overt or covert connivance with wrong-doers. Many of his cabinet colleagues have either been charged with frauds, or are known to have amassed enormous wealth but there is no visible proof of their wrong-doings or are known to have been taking decisions influenced by personal considerations or have crime record or are even mafia kingpins. The persons in high places of authority, such as the CVC, Prasar Bharati CEO, some PSU chairmen, even the President - are known to have dubious past. Worse, the Prime Minister feigns ignorance of all the rot going on under his nose, in the departments directly supervised by him, in the committees chaired by him...


What can be more ironical than that this very Prime Minister tells the judiciary to not interfere in administration. As recently as last month he said while addressing an international conference: “While the power of judicial review must be used to enforce accountability, it must never be used to erode the legitimate role assigned to the other branches of the government." Remember, how steadfastly the government had been defending CVC Thomas and its lawyers even making observations against the powers of the Supreme Court? When the Supreme Court chided the government over massive foodgrain rotting in FCI granaries six months back, Manmohan Singh had asked the court to be within its limits while defending his food minister.  “The Supreme Court should not get into the realm of policy formulation,” Singh had said.


It is high time, Supreme Court judges stop respecting the post of the Prime Minister and show Manmohan Singh his place. If he cannot keep his house in order, he has no right to be in the saddle. BJP leader Advani said it rightly yesterday that Manmohan and Sonia should thank their stars that there is no VP Singh today. 

Awake, governments, or your fall is near!

A poll by Times of India suggests that people are getting fed up with governments, both at the central and in states.  ‘Inflation is beginning to hurt seriously, corruption is at an all-time high and the government is not doing enough to tackle either problem,’ is how Times of India sums it up.

The 8-city survey, though urban-centric, reveals people’s digust with government only doing lip service when it comes to prices of items of daily use.  Similarly, it displays the ‘enogh is enough’ mood of the people regarding scams tumbling out of government stallion.

Not only have people shown displeasure at constantly high inflation, they have said, they have indeed reduced consumption of some items, put off purchases or reduced savings. Six out of seven have blamed either the central or the state governments or both for this. Nearly two-thirds say, government has not done all it could.

On corruption, 83% say, it is at an all-time high. Three-fifths of respondents blame politicians for wide-spread corruption and over one-third believe that the government is not serious about the problem.  Almost everybody maintains that corruption scandals have tarnished the government's image.

• 97% say price rise has impacted family budget
• 86% blame Centre and state governments for inflation
• 62% say government hasn't done all it can to curb prices
• 83% say corruption at all-time high
• 60% feel politicians main culprits
• 64% say government not serious about tackling graft
• 96% say central government's image damaged by spate of scams

courtesy: Times of India

Kapil Sibal’s defence of Raja: how low will Congress sink?

What Kapil Sibal said yesterday in Raja’s defence is utterly specious and devoid of credibility. What he said might be technically arguable, because a lawyer of his stature is not likely to be wrong there, but the type of politics and governance the Congress is displaying is despicable for more reasons than one.

One, when it is a fact that Raja gave only one hour or so for submitting bids that required filling longish documents and submitting drafts, what does it show other than blatant favouritism by twisting procedures? Is it not an impropriety to predate a press release so that only your men know of the bidding? Does any amount of argument that Raja had not been asked against first-come-first-served by PMO or that NDA ministers also followed the same procedure make the loot pardonable? Does any amount of corruption that people in NDA government might have indulged in [that is what Kapil Sibal, Manish Tiwari, Jayanti Natrajan and other Congress spokespersons harp on on television] make Raja’s decisions right? 

What Sibal is saying is that Raja murdered an innocent because NDA beat up an innocent too, and that’s why Raja did no wrong.

Two, why are we hankering on presumptive vs substantive loss to the exchequer and the correctness of CAG calculations? Do these matters of detail take away the sting out of the massive crime and breach of public trust that have been committed? 

Is the Congress trying to say that Raja murdered the innocent with only four stabs but the opposition and CAG are saying that he stabbed the guy ten times, so Raja did no wrong?

Three. The more the Congress tries to argue in favour of Raja’s actions, the more it makes light of the impropriety most of the political masters in India indulge in. In a Minister or public authority’s role you are not a lawyer or a businessman; in fact you should not even act as a party-politician when you are taking a public decision. You are there to make right policies, implement them rightly and take actions only with people’s good in mind. You should be ready to sacrifice personal gains for the general public good. You should, by your conduct, lead the bureaucracy under you and those who follow you otherwise. Do any of you politicians remember the oath you took at the time of taking charge as a Minister? 

Four. For the sake of parliamentary functioning, Congress is supposed to take the leadership role. By joining issues instead of extending its hand, it will further alienate the opposition. Will it gain by doing so? Will the country gain? Will the democracy gain? The sole responsibility for letting parliament run smoothly rests with the ruling party, like the running of a household traditionally rests with the father. If the houses do not run smoothly, dear Manmohan, Sonia, Sibal and your likes, you are to blame, not the opposition.

A party that tries to search for facts and issues to browbeat the opposition, instead of introspecting, saying sorry, taking corrective action and compensating with better governance is a morally sick party. Prudence too says, such a party will not prosper politically in the long run.

India News Today maintains its earlier stand on 2G scam, because happenings of late are only proving it right. Do see our earlier posts:
Parliament logjam
Overscamming NDA: Sonia style
High time you resign, Sardarji
Sonia, Rahul, Manmohan, your words sound hollow
Shame on you, Raja... more shame on you, Manmohan

Bofors: seven reasons why it is still relevant

Rajiv Gandhi indulged in it, VP Singh exploited it, NDA unsuccessfully tried to use it to kill Congress, Congress has been trying hard to bury it, but Bofors is such a sticky gun that it surfaces again and again.

If you feel that the political gun powder of Bofors scam is used up due to age and the gun proving their worth during Kargil war, you might prove wrong. If you feel that it is too minuscule a bribe case as compared to the latest scams, you might again prove wrong. Bofors has the potential to embarrass Congress like no other scam, India News Today will explain why.

One, Bofors is the mother of scams involving big politicos in India. Whenever you talk of corruption at the highest places, you will recall Bofors. It is now a generic name of sort, like Surf for washing powders, Maggi for noodles and Favicol for gums.


The second point is an extension of the point raised above: since it is a generic name, it has become part of the folklore and has a place in people’s memories. You say ‘Bofors’ and people in their forties and above will recall it. Even those not active in politics or interested too much in news will remember something shady done by Rajiv… some Quattorcchi guy from Italy in news for taking commission… some relevance of Sonia’s coming from Italy…

Three, Bofors involved the Prime Minister, none lower. Though Narasimha Rao too was also dragged into securities scam by Harshad Mehta, it did not stick on him.


Four, Bofors involves the Gandhi family – the tower of faith and fountainhead of power for the Congress. Nothing embarrasses Congress more than a finger pointed at Gandhi family.


Five, Bofors has come at a wrong time. In the season of scams, one more reference to scam means that much more trouble. Moreover, CBI’s failure to nab the culprits in Arushi case and its closure of Bofors case give the impression to the common man that CBI is dysfunctional and biased.

Six, it blunts the government’s and Sonia’s new ploy to avoid JPC on 2G scam: to have new laws to fight corruption. “If you are serious about fighting corruption, punish those already found guilty,” will be a common man’s refrain.

Seven, it will unite and embolden the opposition. With time, the opposition was getting divided on JPC issue and the matter had the potential to become a drag for the opposition. On Bofors, left and BJP (and also the erstwhile socialist splinter groups) will have a unanimous stand: bring culprits to the book. They also will be able to project that they have been proved right that commission was indeed paid to people close to Rajiv-Sonia.

Diggy is the new secular face of congress; only it's cussed secularism

Digvijay Singh, as was apparent from the last few months, has been let loose by Rahul [and Sonia] for two reasons: to keep harping on RSS-terrorism links and put pressure on BJP, and also to test waters of Muslim loyalty. India News earlier commented on Rahul's RSS-Simi parallel and Chidambaram's Saffron Terrorism statement.

Diggy: India News

Congress and Diggy cannot be faulted if they remain within democratic limits in criticising RSS for whatever links some of its leaders have with right wing terrorist organisations. They also have full legitimate right to embarrass their political adversary, the BJP. However, Diggy is going beyond the thin line that separates criticism from brazen political attack. Even being most brazen in political attacks is OK, but not when it might lead to communal tension. It is not OK also when it needlessly hurts sentiments of a community or some innocent persons.

Have a look at what Diggy is doing:
He issued a statement saying Karkare [the police officer slain in 26/11 terrorist attacks] feared Hindu terrorists. Karkare's wife has denounced it but Diggy is firm.
The RSS in the garb of its nationalist ideology is targeting Muslims the same way Nazis targeted Jews in the 1930s, Digvijay Singh has said recently.
The roots of terrorism in India lie in BJP leader LK Advani's rath yatra, Diggy said today.

India News is not pro-BJP so it will condemn any wrongdoings by RSS and BJP, but what Diggy is doing is no less than the charge he is making against RSS and BJP. He is giving a handle to those among Muslims and  Hindus who are on hunt for opportunities to create tension. He is provoking terrorists. He is opening old wounds. He is making a media- and social- issue of a non-issue at present. It is pity that Congress, especially Rahul and Sonia are encouraging him to do so.

An example of cussed secularism.

loo's talk: overscamming NDA, sonia style

Sonia as seen by India News

Sonia says, the UPA dealt with corruption better than NDA. She is right. Her party has overscammed NDA by 10:1 both in terms of numbers and in terms of moneys involved. But still, I feel she has not lost everything, if and only if she mends her thinking and her ways.

Dear lady, would it not be better to be clean about it? Your ministers and babus whom you have fixed in key positions milk the country to the bone. If you have nothing to hide and if your Prime Minister is a man of clean image, why don't you bare yourself to public scrutiny of all kinds? What is so big deal about not letting a JPC? Not having a JPC even if the opposition does not allow you to run parliament? To what level will you go down?

Madam, if you have really nothing to hide, be bold and say, you have examined all things and reconsidered your stand... and that you not only agree for a JPC but a speedy probe... and you will take the opposition along, the way one needs to take them along on diplomatic issues, because corruption is the number one enemy of the nation.

But, madam, you don't seem to have such courage of conviction. You believe in political intrigues et al. That's what we, the politically neutral people of India, have started believing. Starting with a high moral ground that you took in refusing Prime Ministership in the first place, either you have degenerated or your that stand itself was a political move as opposition says so often. You must prove yourself above petty politics and filth once again. Would you do that?

If you refuse to lend ears to any sensible counsel, you are on the way to doom, take it from me. The next elections will throw you in the same dustbin in  which the successive elections have thrown Lalu. None from the Gandhi clan would ever be able to resurrect. Look at King Prachanda in Nepal. Learn from our own and others' history and make amends. It is up to you to jump in the well or climb the peak. All the best, either way!!

Quote-unquote

“Let me reiterate in clearest terms: Our government has nothing to hide or fear. Our concerns are that we should not undermine the established institutions such as the Public Accounts Committee and the CBI. Nor should we do anything that will denigrate the institution of the Prime Minister. We can not sacrifice institutions at the altar of political expediency,” Sonia Gandhi at Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, Dec 14, 2010

parliament logjam

Parliament has not conducted business for over 15 days as the opposition has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee [JPC] probe into 2G scam in which the former Telecom Minister, A Raja is the prime suspect. Many efforts by the ruling coalition have failed to make the opposition budge.

Many papers have blamed the opposition for their lack of responsibility. Congress has put all the blame on the opposition for the stalemate. Its spokesmen have even said that the main opposition party BJP fears a discussion on RSS-linked terrorism and that is why it is not allowing parliament to function. The PM has appealed to the opposition to not sully the country's reputation and not weaken the democratic process.

India News Today holds the ruling UPA solely responsible for the logjam. It is the duty of the ruling formation to ensure that there is no major confrontation with the opposition, and it is the duty of the opposition to embarrass the government for its follies.

On the content of the conflict too, it is the UPA and especially its flag bearers - the PM and Sonia - who are to blame. What are they gaining by not agreeing to a JPC probe? If they are clean, they should have agreed to a JPC immediately and not make it a prestige issue and a shameless defence. In fact, they should have gone one step forward: hold JPC, also let the existing probes continue, devise a coordination mechanism so that there is no conflict of authority among probing agencies, ensure that the probes are done in a time-bound manner OR offer to have an external probe to be supervised by a JPC.

The Congress strategy is to stonewall a JPC at all cost, shorten the winter session, be offensive, blame opposition for the stalemate, show that BJP governements in states are equally corrupt, and make poor Pranab Mukherjee request the opposition to agree. It is an inherently faulty strategy: from ethical as well as political points of view. Good that Congress didn't fare well in Bihar. Otherwise they would have been much more belligerent  - and foolish.

bihar elections and a reality check

Bihar elections in 2010 have proved some 'myths' and disproved some 'facts'. The most, it is making people give extreme judgements on caste, development, Nitish's charm, etc etc.

India News Today gives below some ground realities that need to be kept in mind while judging Bihar elections.

•  In Bihar, caste remains a strong reality. Caste here means [unlike in metros and big towns where youth from the 'higher castes' seem to have a genuine grudge against 'reservationists' taking away their jobs without fair competition] deprivation and humiliation versus economic dominance and muscle power.

• Nitish was not a caste-less politician. He rather cultivated some castes too well. His casteism has been different from Lalu-Paswan casteism in that (i) he has tried to reach the economic benefits to the castes he's sought to favour more than others; (ii) in doing so, he has not discriminated against other castes; and (iii) his social justice has gone to the needy and downtrodden, not to his kin and his own community.

•  Bihar still remains a poorly-developed state. In Nitish's rule, roads, electricity, children's enrolment in school, primary health etc have got a boost, but the benefits have reached sparsely and have not reached many parts of the state. Nitish has not been able to implement many recommendations for social and economic development, but his overall score is commendable.

• Bihar politics will also remain criminal infested, whichever party comes to power. JD(U), with the biggest seat share has also the largest number of criminals getting into the Legislative Assembly. 

• In the current elections, the NDA has got just 39% of the votes polled. The constituent parties, JD(U) and BJP,  have got only about 3 percent vote swing in its favour. Yet, this is significant. NDA has not only retained its support base, it has brought in fence-sitters. This, despite the usual anti-incumbency factor that would go againt the ruling formation if it did not perfom well. There was no anti-Lalu wave but Nitish's genuine-sounding contrast of his own rule with that of Lalu-Rabri rule seems to have made people think. 

• Nitish's win is as much a vote in favour of his image and his work, as it is his keen political acumen supported by a sensible poss strategy. There was opposition from within his party as he did not favour the partymen too much during his rule; his alliance with BJP was a double-edged sword.

• Poll alliances do matter: had BJP- JD(U) combine split, BJP would sure have lost some seats and so would JD(U). Not to talk of sentiment, even by simple arithmetic it would have harmed the constituent parties. For example, BJP would have to fight elections in more seats than it fought [102] and wold not have won there but would have taken away some of JD(U) seats. On the other hand, in the 91 constituencies that it has won, it would have had to suffer fight with JD(U) instead of getting voter and party support. 

• It is only a matter of speculation whether Lalu-Congress-LJP combine would have given a bigger challenge to Nitish-BJP. However, it is logical that people would have thought of it as an alternative to Nitish. Some undecided lot might have jumped towards them and given them a few more seats. Besides, as argued above, the non-NDA votes would not have got divided so badly. 

• The fracturing of votes partly due to Congress and RJD not going together has resulted in smaller parties getting a whopping 27 percent vote share.

• Direct benefit of a scheme to those for whom this is life-changer seems to pay instant dividend: It is widely believed that the NREGS helped UPA win for the second term. In the case of Bihar, teacher recruitment, providing dress to the policemn and salaries to teachers, school enrolments, giving cycles to girl students, cash benefits for cleanliness etc given by Nitish government must have influenced poor voters a great deal. Similarly, a good law and order situation must have influenced middle class and women. Such influences seem to cut across party and community lines.

• When people get fed-up with violence and poor governance, they would brave difficulties and threats to teach the wrong-doers a lesson. They defied Maoist threats and thronged to poliing booths in large numbers, and they didn't forgive Lalu-Rabri and their musclemen kin. Earlier, they seemd to have wilted under threat from musclemen, but this time they gave the muscles two hoots. As much as clean governance, people seem to vote for clean image of the leader [in Western context, it would mean more in the sense of sexual relationships] when other things are equal. Since the voting population in India is mostly a victim of routine corruption, the slur of dishonesty sticks life-long on politicians.

• Timing of campaigns also matters. Congress suffered for many reasons. One of them could be too early and small-time entry of Rahul Gandhi on the scene. His impact might have been washed away by Nitish's subsequent showing.

nitish coming back, lalu's lalten dims

The final phase of the long Bihar assembly elections is over. Except for a few incidents, the polling was peaceful and over fifty percent people voted despite threat from the Maoists. A post-poll survey by a leading media group says, Nitish will come back again.

Counting of votes will happen on 24th. Bihar has over 5.5 crore [=55 million] electors and voting occurred for all 243 constituencies in six phases spread over a month. In the outgoing Assembly, the ruling parties JD-U and BJP had 88 and 55 seats; RJD and LJP had 54 and 10 seats; and Congress had nine seats.

 According to Star News survey, Nitish will win thumps down with 170 seats, while an earlier The Week survey had predicted hung assembly [ Nitish alliance: 110-122; Lalu alliance: 77-89; Congress: 23-29]. My personal estimate is that Nitish's combine will win by a comfortable majority. Maybe, Congress wins more than what Star News survey is telling [22 seats] at the cost of Lalu-Paswan.

Post-election analyses will tell who voted en-masse [if at all] for Nitish, why Rahul's magic didn't work there, why people didn't find any light in Lalu-Rabri's lalten [=lantern]. For now, it appears that his clean image, progress in Bihar during his term [though it has been patchy] and his cast equation have resulted in a better vote share for his alliance. But he must now work for upliftment of the entire Bihar, without any cast, communal and regional consideration. He must also rid Bihar politics of nepotism and muscle power.

I am not a JD (U)  fan and do not subscribe to the Kurmi and mahadalit politics of Nitish. However, I would be happy if JD(U)+BJP or Congress come to power. If the survey predictions come true, the state can have a chance to not suffer RJD+LJP and possibly have better days ahead. That is enough to make me happy. For now, only this much and wishing Biharis a post-Chhat good life.

My earlier post on Bihar here.

loo's talc: high time you resign, sardarji !

Dear Manmohan Singh Ji,

We have held you in high esteem, mostly because of the image you let us create of you in our minds for all these years. We don't know whether we are right or wrong. We only wish, you are honest. Honest, at least by Indian political standards.

You have ruled the country for over six years and have presided over a number of known and unknown scams, and the generally decaying administration. We also know, you have been a silent spectator while you could have intervened. You were and are in that position, Sardarji.

You sat quiet when you were given specific instances in which A. Raja showed extreme misdemenour, and you will still keep doing so, despite Supreme Court pointing its finger at you. Did you bother for CAG's and Supreme Court's observations on Raja? Mind it, these are the ultimate seats of public probity. Though neither of them is above reproach, that does not mitigate your misconduct of omission.

Now, you have done one better: you have chosen to preach the CAG the difference between errors and deliberate mistakes. By the way, your routine reticence was broken when you tried to support your government on foodgrain rotting observations made by the Supreme Court. So, sir, you have started committing in addition to omitting. 

Dear Sardarji, we know that in the present political scenario, there might not be a better prime ministerial candidate than you, though people seem to feel otherwise. But should you not resign, when you happen to hold the highest political seat in the country, and under you, the union cabinet that is collectively responsible to the people of this country, and people in your cabinet and your party and your leaders in states all have lost the moral right to rule the country? For the sake of your own esteem, leave aside the country. If I were in your exalted position, I imagine I would. And I would not resign in a hurry, and before resigning I would ensure that the big sharks are punished and the message goes down the system.

quote-unquote

"It's not that Swamy's petition was vague. And his right to seek sanction to prosecute, which is a legal right, does not depend on the ipse dixit of anybody. And the DopT letter terms the petition as 'premature'. Does this mean his right to to seek sanction has not ripened yet? And did the sanctioning authority know at the time of filing of the petition that there will be a CBI probe? We are on alleged inaction and silence. The outcome of the CBI inquiry is totally outside his control. This what is worrying us. Can some one's legal right be asked to wait?... We are on the alleged inaction and silence of the sanctioning authority for 11 months on Swamy's petition seeking sanction to prosecute....This what is worrying us." Supreme Court on 16.11.2010 on delay in granting permission to prosecute Raja following Swami's complaint on 2G scam, as quoted in the Times of India

sonia, rahul, manmohan, your words sound hollow

It was comic to hear Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari when he tried to explain that Sonia had indeed talked of corruption in her speech at the All India Congress Committee [AICC] session. He was responding to media's refrain that Sonia, Manmohan and Rahul, the three most important functionaries of Congress did not talk of corruption in public life that has been in the news for the last couple of months. The fact is, whatever Manish says in their defence, none of them spoke of corruption.

My view is, even if they had delivered their speeches only on corruption, that would make no difference unless they show any sincerity in punishing the mighty who have indulged in massive corruption and are still holding important portfolios. Raja broke all rules to favour a few in 2G spectrum distribution and is said to have cost the exchequor a humungous sum of Rs. 2,00,000 crore [Rs. 2000 billion] - despite CAG's and Supreme Court's stinging remarks, he is not only untouched he continues to hold the post of a union cabinet minister. The list is swelling by the day: Prasar Bharti chief Lalli, CVC Thomas, ex-CEC Navin Chawla, Maharashtra CM Chavan... And what we come to know of is only a tip of the iceberg. I have been naming them ad nauseum.

So, only big words will come out of the holy mouths of Sonia, Rahul and Manmohan and these words now sound hollow. If not for the sake of the country, for the sake of the party and for their own sake, they must take a stand. If their strategy is to not act tough and keep the corrupt on the tenterhook so as to make them pawns that can be sacrificed in political game when the right time comes, they are doing it at the expense of the country's economy and social-political health. A nauseatingly meek PM, a powerful lady who thinks only politics and a powerful man who delves only in symbolism are not a good combination for the country.

rahul's rss - simi parallel: will it pay?

The implication of Rahul’s remarks is much more political than just brushing off RSS as a ‘fanatical and fundamentalist’ organisation. In his scheme of things, he must bring back Muslims to the Congress fold; Muslims have long been supposed to be voting rather collectively in favour of Congress. Going by this logic, feelers to them are supposed to give it the winning edge to Congress candidates that converts vote-share into seats since non-Muslims are too divided to be alienated by such feelers.

Two observations here.
One, this type of comparison seems within limits of democracy: no un-parliamentary language used, no allegations other than an explainable parallel with an organisation linked to terror. It must have been in his mind that RSS functionaries’ links with Malegaon bomb-blast case would give him the necessary proof too.
Two, the linking of RSS with SIMI might cost Congress more than it might benefit it in terms of electoral gains. For a large number of followers of RSS, this organisation is a committed nationalistic organisation that has helped in fight against the British during the freedom struggle, and has been helping the society with education, relief and other charitable work. So, their hurt feelings might help in branding Rahul as an immature, uncouth politician if not anti-Hindu.

guest chat: shame on you, Raja... more shame on you, Manmohan

In yesterday's Times of India, there was this item: 'Majority of 2G licences given by Raja illegal: CAG'. Earlier, we had reports that the 2G scam might be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in Indian history. Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy's special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court is also to come up for hearing this week. The petition seeks minister’s prosecution alleging that his actions in awarding second-generation (2G) licences in 2008 had caused an estimated loss of Rs.70,000 crore [Rs. 700 billion] to the government exchequer.

Raja is supposed to have acted against the Department's guidelines, personally cleared awards to companies that did not have any experience or wherewithals to roll out 2G, gone for first come first served basis and not through the fair route of inviting tenders, hurried dates of submission of interest to suit some companies and so on. Each of these acts is liable to action, and collectively they represent a systemic loot.

Now, who else do you want to show that Raja was personally and collectively culpable for the scam? Not CAG - the highest audit body? Tomorrow, you will also protect Raja behind some stonewalling law against a Minister's prosecution. Even if you do not do that, you are already committing sins of the worst type a supposedly honest Prime Minister can ever do: turning a blind eye on it all.

You might say that we should not sit in judgement; agreed, and we are not demanding that he be hanged or stoned to death and that too before a court or enquiry commission proves his guilt. But let the government at least ask Raja to go. Any one day delay in his departure means the government is losing people's faith in it.

I am not talking about the legality of the case but the level of corruption within the government run by Manmohan Singh and patronised by Sonia, and the level of tolerance for such corruption. If for political reasons, Manmohan does not dare to act against Raja even mildly, he must resign himself. What is there for him to lose except the frills that being a Prime Minister brings? If he were what his image has been so far, ie an honest person, he should have resigned over many such cases. He too has turned into a shameless creature whose appetite for power is only growing by the day.

As a frustrated Indian, I can only say, shame on you Raja and his DMK. But shame and spit on you, Manmohan and Sonia.

advisers make Manmohan point finger and prove himself stupid

Manmohan Singh is a person known for reticence and incoherence and not assertiveness [see here and here for earlier references to Manmohan Singh on this blog]. So, when he spoke to a select group of editors last week, his belligerence was unexpected. In fact, that meet seems to have been organised by his spin doctors in response to the media almost calling him a stooge of Sonia. But he was ill-advised to speak that loud, jarring and nonsensical.
Of many things he said, he also remarked on the Supreme Court’s observations and order on rotting food grains in the face of bumper crops and huge procurement on one hand and hunger on the other: "...the Supreme Court should not go into the realm of policy formulation."

Shamelessly the editors who attended the PM’s meet got in their papers editorials written to hail the PM for his remarks and to blame the Court for stepping into the executive’s domain. You can criticise the Court for its uncalled for order asking the government to distribute food grains free to the poor, but hailing the PM for his remarks does not make good sense. In preaching the Supreme Court, the PM has lived up to the Hindi idiom, ulta chor kotwal ko dantey [the thief scolding the cop]. Of course, the spin doctor and his friend editors must be telling the PM that he acted like a statesman.

Manmohan Singh deserved better advice and better feedback. Also better common sense and confidence in himself.