Political Vendetta cry over CBI and ED Investigations!

On 16 June 2022, the Congress party workers and senior leaders protested across the country over the ED's probe against Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. Followed similar protests nationwide on 21 July 2022 when the ED summoned Sonia Gandhi for investigations in the National Herald case.

On 21 July 2022, Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and the TMC Supremo, gave a soul stirring speech on Martyrs Day in Kolkata. She slammed the Modi government on misusing central agencies - CBI, ED and IT to harass the opposition: “Our phones are tapped; Pegasus is dangerous and ferocious; and I cannot talk to anyone. She said that money collected by the Centre through taxes on fuel is being spent on spying. “BJP wants to turn India into a surveillance state instead of democratic country.”

Also on the same date 21 July 2022, KR Ramesh Kumar, Former Karnataka Congress Party MLA and Assembly Speaker, reportedly stated that “We have made enough for two to three generations in the name of Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and if we are not prepared for this (protests), then in the future there will be worms in our food.” Indeed an honest admission.

And, on 23 July 2022, Partha Chatterjee, TMC West Bengal Education Minister, was arrested in the SSC scam case, when Rs.21 crores cash was recovered from the residence of his aide, Arptia Mukherjee, actress. The cash reportedly was found in the West Bengal Education Ministry envelopes with the National Emblem printed on them.

In the past too, Mamata Banerjee had presided over a series of scams. Then also, she had termed investigations as political vendetta to include: Rs.40, 000 crores Rose Valley Scam; Rs. 2.500 crores Saradha Scam; Rs.19, 000 crores Coal Scam; and, cow smuggling to Covid-19 relief robbery. Yet, the gullible people voted in her favor and returned her to power.

Add to them, Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister and the Aam Admi Party (AAP) Supremo, is the latest to join the outburst or chorus of political vendetta over Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending investigation into the controversial Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 involving Rs.144 crores. His Deputy, Manish Sisodia is the Minister involved in granting the benefit.

In his report, the Delhi Chief Secretary alleged breaches of the GNCTD Act of 1991, the Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR) of 1993, the Delhi Excise Act of 2009, and the Delhi Excise Rules of 2010.

In retrospect, it is quite intriguing to know where the AAP is getting the funds for 24x365 advertisements and appearances of not only Arvind Kejriwal, but also Manish Sisodia, Raghava Chadda, Atishi and the latest to join them is Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Chief Minister. Surely, the TV Channels are not providing free broadcasting time due to their highly laudable objectives for public consumption.

Be that as it may, recently in April 2022, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the legislature that "out of the 310 cases registered since 2017 by the ACB, as many as 223 cases are awaiting clearances from the state government for criminal prosecution of officials on the basis of recommendations by the ACB.

On 6 July 2021, the Karnataka State Contractors Association, a body with one lakh members, when B S Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister, had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a serious complaint: They say they are forced to pay kickbacks that are now as high as 40% of the project cost.

In the first decade of the new millennium, to recall, the Bellary mining scandal shook Karnataka involving the mining baron brothers from Karnataka Karunakara Reddy and Janardhana Reddy who were ministers in Karnataka. The scandal led to the resignation of the former chief minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa.

In fact, as per Corruption Study (CMS-ICS) 2017, Karnataka tops the list of most corrupt States. So, K R Suresh Kumar has highlighted is true by all counts irrespective of all political parties in all states.

In January 2014, Kejriwal had released the list of “corrupt politicians” to include: former Chief Ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa (BJP), M. Veerappa Moily (Congress) and H.D. Kumraswamy (Janata Dal-S), and former Union Minister Ananth Kumar (BJP).

In retrospect, K R Ramesh Kumar, Congress Party Karnataka leader, has stated the most obvious. Ipso facto, corruption has been rampant in the Karnataka State. All political parties without exception have been making allegations against each other on corruption since the past 4 to 5 decades not only in the State of Karnataka, but also in many other States. The statements come at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the principal opposition, Congress, have been trading charges on corruption to corner the other in the run-up to the 2023 assembly elections.

While the Congress has tried to keep up pressure on the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government over growing allegations of corruption, including the 40% commission or bribe charges against its administration and ministers, police sub-inspector (PSI) scandal and laundering of money using crypto currencies among others. The BJP has hit back at the Congress, stating that during the latter’s rule, there were several charges of corruption and are even trying to dig out possible graft from the past to reciprocate the allegations.

“In the past, they (Congress) looted and jammed people’s lives under the pretext of eradicating poverty. Today they are taking to the streets to protect their leader who is caught in a corruption scandal and creating traffic jams. Is it possible to expect civil behavior from Sonia’s thug followers?” CN Ashwath Narayan, minister for higher education, said in a post on Twitter while tagging Kumar’s video.

“Yes. @KRRameshKumar1 has spoken the truth. He has clearly stated how the party has @INCKarnataka has looted the people’s wealth since Nehru’s time. It is because of this daylight robbery that today there is a situation for a Congress-free India,” said Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, Karnataka's minister for handloom, textile and sugarcane development.

Ironic that corruption is viewed as the most sinister and heinous internal security threat that can result in collapse of regimes and nations. The worst fraud committed on "We the People" by political leaders is their claim to wipe out corruption through the policy of "Zero Tolerance against Corruption". In reality, not only our political and bureaucratic grandmasters, but all others in the field, are hell bent upon paving the course of gargantuan corruption to pave the way for disintegration of the nation.

And, the investigating agencies are at the receiving end of humiliation by invoking all sorts of derisive clichés by all and sundry. Heading the list is the Supreme Court terming it as "caged parrot speaking in its master's voice" be it the Congress Party led alliances or the BJP led NDA alliances. However, what is at stake is the image of such institutions. Their constant undermining by political leaders does not augur well for their image.

Today, the investigative agencies are caught between the proverbial "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". If they act, they are blamed as "Caged parrots"; if they do not act, they are blamed for the unbridled growth of gargantuan corruption, particularly by political leaders and parties. In sum, "Political Vendetta" is the buzz word invoked by political parties to fool the people and to gain their sympathy for vote bank politics.