Round The States
New Delhi, 30 July
2022
West Bengal Scandal
SETBACK FOR DIDI, TMC
By Insaf
West Bengal’s
fiery Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is caught on the backfoot. Despite putting
up a strong front, her and TMC’s image has taken a severe beating in the School
Service Commission jobs scam, with the ED having seized nearly Rs 50 crores of
cash and Rs 5 crores of jewellery apart from foreign currency between Partha
Chatterjee and his ‘aide’ Arpita Mukherjee. Pushed into damage control after 5
days, in a meeting on disciplinary affairs, the party on Thursday last, finally
sacked Partha as Cabinet minister, party Secretary-General, national working
committee member and Vice-President, Editor, party mouthpiece Jago Banglaand
suspended him from TMC‘till the probe continues’. Diditook charge of his
portfolios -- commerce & industries, IT, parliamentary affairs and public
enterprises, till a ‘new Cabinet’.
Right reaction, but wrong
clarification by the party: “We want to know the source of this huge amount of
black money…If anyone betrays the people or uses our party platform in
self-interest to create a mechanism of making money, the party will not support
him. We also demand the strongest punishment of the accused in corruption
matters.” Surely, people are not fools or naïve. Is it possible the supremo
wasn’t aware of her heavyweight colleague making a huge buck? Was it his booty
or for the TMC, as is the case with political parties? The BJP, like others
would know. For its state leader said: Partha ‘was made a scapegoat. He can’t
mastermind the scam alone. The entire government is involved. We want CM’s
resignation…” Not happening. But will the Bengal tigress’ fangs get blunted,
will Didi too fall in line?
* * * * * * *
Awry One Year
Is there more than meets the eye in Karnataka? Chief
Minister Bommai decided to cancel celebrations to mark his government’s one
year in office on Thursday last. A mega rally ‘Janotsava’ to mark 3 years of
BJP rule was too cancelled. The reasoning: the murder of a youth
party activist in Dakshina Kannada district two day ago. Was it his conscience
or that Bommai doesn’t have much to offer during his stewardship? It’s no
secret of him being beleaguered by uncertainty over his kursi. Maintaining
communal harmony has been a tall order for him; there’s a ‘sense of
indecisiveness,’ with him wary of taking any decisions on governance without
consultations with party leadership; he hasn’t been able to induct a full
Cabinet, despite many trips to Delhi; there are complaints of large number of
files pending clearances; he’s promoting Hindutva but doing precious little on
attacks on Dalits, minorities etc; he has backtracked on changes made in school
textbooks following protests; High Court has scathing observations on probe in
high-profile corruption cases viz IAS/IPS officers, et al. The
Opposition has labelled the cancelled celebrations as a “Bhrasht Utsav
(festival of corruption)”. Despite all, Bommai has continued as he has kept the
party and RSS leadership ‘in good humour.’Will he lead the party in 2023, will
be a nagging question alright.
* * * * * * *
Meghalaya Sex
Racket
The BJP in Meghalaya is red in the face.
Its Vice President Bernard N Marak, accused of running a sex racket at his farmhouse in Tura,
West Garo Hills,was arrested on Tuesday last from Hapur, Uttar Pradesh,
following a lookout notice. A former militant leader, Marak went into hiding
after a police raid on the premises‘Rimpu Bagan’, during the weekend, where 73
people were arrested, six minors (four boys and 2 girls)rescued and hundreds of
liquor bottles and condoms, besides dozens of cars seized!Marakwho faces charges
under sections of IPC and Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, and has over 25
criminal cases against him since early 2000s across the State, claims he is
‘innocent’ and alleges it’s ‘political vendetta’ by Chief Minister Conrad K
Sangma, heading the ruling MeghalayaDemocratic Alliance and fears for his life.
The state BJP is backing his claim. However, the government has rejected
the allegations and left it to law to takes its own course.
Predictably, tension between the ruling alliance is coming out in the open. How
serious only time will tell. A court issuing non-bailable warrant against
Marak, aids the NPP partner. BJP can continue crying hoarse.
* * * * * * *
Onus On Kejriwal
The ball is clearly in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal’s court. On Wednesday last, he may have heaved a sigh of
relief with a court order but the onus on him should be more weighing. Dismissing
a petition to suspend Delhi minister Satyendar Jain from the Cabinet following
his arrest since May 30 in a money laundering case, a two-judge bench of Delhi
High Court said it’s for the CMto act in the best interest of the state and to
consider whether a person with a criminal background should be allowed to
continue as a minister or not.It held it’s ‘not for the court to either
direct the Governor or Chief Minister’ for removing a person having committed a
breach of oath, but only a duty ‘to remind these key duty holders about their
role to preserve, protect and promote the ethos and uphold the Constitution’s
tenets.’ The court even quoted Ambedkar’s statement: “…however, good a
Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to
work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn
out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The
Constitution’s working doesn’t depend wholly upon its nature.” So will Kejriwal
be guided by constitutional principles and set another example of Delhi’s model
governance?
* * * * * * *
Gujarat A Dry State?
Gujarat’s hooch tragedy, which has claimed 42 lives so far,
clearly reveals chinks in the armour of the dry State. Nearly 97 people are
still admitted in hospitals in Bhavnagar, Botad and Ahmedabad, where the
spurious illicit liquor was sold. Primary investigations by police have
revealed that some small-time bootleggers of different villages of Botad
district had made spurious liquor by mixing water with methyl alcohol or
Methanol, a highly poisonous industrial solvent, and sold it to villagers for
Rs 20 per pouch. The Minister of State for Home said on Thursday last,police
officials stand suspended; trial to be held in a fast-track court; control over
production and sale of methyl alcohol is to be tightened, an inquiry to be
conducted and report will be submitted within 3 days. Same old response but is
the policy of a dry State being honestly pursued? The Congress asks: ruling
forces are giving protection to the “mafias”of spurious liquor and drugs. A BJP
leader has an interesting formula: “Those contesting polls should stop
distributing alcohol during elections. If 182 MLAs decide, not a single drop of
illegal liquor will be in the market…Instead of writing letters, MLAs with
locals support should conduct Janta Raid on liquor dens-- a regular exercise,
not symbolic.” A former Home Minister does one better: “No stringent law can
enforce total prohibition, it’s better if quality liquor is provided…If you
want to consume alcohol, have a quality one just like the milk supplied by
cooperative milk dairies, and the government should make it available
likewise”. Any takers? ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
New Delhi
29 July 2022
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