Anna has done it! He was pursuant enough for the government for it to give written assurance to him and his team that all variants of the bill will be discussed. Now that the BJP has opened its big mouth supporting Anna and the aam admi(considering that it allows daylight robbery of national resources by its party-men in Karnataka), it is an acid-test for the party where everybody will be watching which side it will tilt. If for any reason the BJP does not vote in favour of Anna's Bill Draft, the public will open its 'Trinetra' on them and it will be very difficult for the party to explain its anti-Anna stand at every election be it Panchayat election or Parliamentary elections. If BJP and the Congress (and also SP, BSP et al) vote in favour of the bill, it will be the first time in the history that the Chicken has agreed for the Masala to be made for the Chicken Curry. My apologies to all Vegans and Vegetarians if I have hurt their sentiments for exemplifying the chicken (actually this statement is a disclaimer in disguise so that in future Manish Tiwari will not malign me for being insensitive to the sentiments of Vegetarians, Vegans and other non-eaters of chicken!!). But could this olive branch extended to Team-Anna be a Trojan Horse where wounded tigers of the Congress are planning an ambush? The other thing could be that Congress has somehow over the last few hours have learnt the trick of making the impossible (given the fact that they were rubbing the technical reasons for not accepting Team-Anna's demands into the wound of the public) possible.
All Anna is asking is accountability in the areas of The Judiciary, The Executive and The Legislature, even if it is brought about by bills other than Lokpal. Is it too much to ask for? Is The Congress doing us any favour by bringing in accountability? I think not. Anybody who draws a salary from the treasury of Public Money must and should be made accountable. Is it not the correct approach? Is it not the right of every tax-payer who is only asking 'Please tell me on what did you spend my money?'?
The Government should understand this:
1. Team- Anna who may or may not be representing the larger population are asking for accountability.
2. That the people have lost faith in the political will of all parties to pass the stronger version of the bill and is dilly-dallying with the passing of the bill for the last 22 years. How much longer?
3. That it took 10 days of fasting by a 74 year old Gandhian and the mammoth support that he today commands for the Ruling Party to even acknowledge the angst of the common man and his futile attempts at eliminating corruption.
4. It took our Prime-Minister to make his first statement only after things became very serious and this is not becoming of a Prime-Minister. As I said earlier, he should have called Anna for a private meeting, even before the fast began, in which both could share their personal thoughts about the matter and come to a via-media settlement. No. He chose to remain silent like a man who has no control over his subordinate ministers with Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram holding the reigns. One question. Who is the actual head of the Government? Does not seem like it is the Prime Minister.
Ram Bharose Bharat Shaasan Ki Jai!!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Anna Now a Hero?
Suddenly Congress has done a complete U-Turn on Anna Hazare's integrity status. Someone who was 'Sar se Paanv tak' corrupt according to the Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari has emerged a hero as new-found wisdom dawned upon Congressmen. Mr. Dixit has said it was an error on the part of Delhi Police in the way they arrested Anna. In my previous post on this blog I had told that the DP will be victimised in this matter by the same Puppeteers who orchestrated this whole drama. And Lo! now DP is the scapegoat / villian in the whole chain of events!
Let us for a moment presume that the method anna is adopting is not totally constitutional. But if he had gone the 'Constitutional' way to protest these chaps would have stealthily passed the 'Protection of Corruption Bill' that they have now drafted.
What is baffling me is the conspicuous absence of our Hon'ble Prime Minister. Has he gone to the United States? Sir, Other than the nothing-to-write-home-about speech on our Independence Day, not once have you come out in the open and voiced your opinion, personal or otherwise. You are supposed to be the PRIME-minister meaning head of all central cabinet ministers. You are the one who was supposed to say " Annaji, you are a Gandhian and I have great regard for you. I believe you have some issues with our Lokpal Bill Draft. Come, Let us discuss our differences over a cup of tea at my residence. I too will tell you why it is difficult for us Parliamentarians to adopt certain points of your draft." For not doing that and hiding behind a curtain of arrogant ministers Sir, the country will not forgive you. Never were you strong enough to be assertive and say This is my stand on the Matters of 2G, CWG, Nira Radia case and other big issues. You were a mute spectator when the kind of Digvijay Singh, Manish Tiwari went beserk with their illogical rhetoric.
In my opinion the New and Shiny Lokpal Bill should also include the various Party Presidents. After all they are the one who appoint Prime-ministers, ministers and Chief-ministers. They too could have ulterior motives which ultimately affect the greater good of the people they represent. One such example is he mention of "Payment of Hotel Bills of friend of Nitin Gadkari Sir" in one of the many documents unearthed by Mr. U V Singh of the Karnataka Lokayukta.
I also feel the punishment for corruption should be proportionate to the grade of the post of the perpetrator.
Let us for a moment presume that the method anna is adopting is not totally constitutional. But if he had gone the 'Constitutional' way to protest these chaps would have stealthily passed the 'Protection of Corruption Bill' that they have now drafted.
What is baffling me is the conspicuous absence of our Hon'ble Prime Minister. Has he gone to the United States? Sir, Other than the nothing-to-write-home-about speech on our Independence Day, not once have you come out in the open and voiced your opinion, personal or otherwise. You are supposed to be the PRIME-minister meaning head of all central cabinet ministers. You are the one who was supposed to say " Annaji, you are a Gandhian and I have great regard for you. I believe you have some issues with our Lokpal Bill Draft. Come, Let us discuss our differences over a cup of tea at my residence. I too will tell you why it is difficult for us Parliamentarians to adopt certain points of your draft." For not doing that and hiding behind a curtain of arrogant ministers Sir, the country will not forgive you. Never were you strong enough to be assertive and say This is my stand on the Matters of 2G, CWG, Nira Radia case and other big issues. You were a mute spectator when the kind of Digvijay Singh, Manish Tiwari went beserk with their illogical rhetoric.
In my opinion the New and Shiny Lokpal Bill should also include the various Party Presidents. After all they are the one who appoint Prime-ministers, ministers and Chief-ministers. They too could have ulterior motives which ultimately affect the greater good of the people they represent. One such example is he mention of "Payment of Hotel Bills of friend of Nitin Gadkari Sir" in one of the many documents unearthed by Mr. U V Singh of the Karnataka Lokayukta.
I also feel the punishment for corruption should be proportionate to the grade of the post of the perpetrator.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Anna & Co Jailed
This morning Anna & his aides were arested. The policemen who came to arrest him, according to Mr.Arvind Kejriwal, did not give any reason and told him that they were only following orders. One good thing that they exhibted was that they came in mufti and took him, I should say, gently [as opossed to a la Karunanidhi/ Murasoli Maran arrest.]. Now arresting Anna even before he started his fast and not giving reason while arresting him is likely to work against the favour of Delhi Police in convincing the courts about the legitamacy of this operation. The D.P. is going to be censured by the court and one man in a white dhothi will be hiding behind a pillar in the court hall with a smirk on his face. In this cat and mouse game between the D.P. and team Anna, this man has nothing to lose.. But I have great optimism that his arrogance alone will do him in. Vinash kale vipareet buddhi.
Another interesting turn of events is that Abhishek Manu Singhvi disowned Manish Tiwari's vitriolic attack on Arvind Kejriwal by a " no comment " comment. How can you say that? A statement made by a party's spokesperson is the voicing of the party's thoughts. How can you not comment? As I said before put a gag on
dimwits like Manish Tiwari and Digvijay Singh and probably you Congressmen can last a while longer in active politics.
Why should one elderly person going on a hunger strike with some unimportant people around him with a not so unreasonable demand to pass a stronger Lokpal bill, scare the daylights out of the congress party? Also do the varied views on this issue within the party suggest a power struggle in Sonia Gandhi's absence?
Ram Bharose Bharath Shasan ki Jai!!!!
Another interesting turn of events is that Abhishek Manu Singhvi disowned Manish Tiwari's vitriolic attack on Arvind Kejriwal by a " no comment " comment. How can you say that? A statement made by a party's spokesperson is the voicing of the party's thoughts. How can you not comment? As I said before put a gag on
dimwits like Manish Tiwari and Digvijay Singh and probably you Congressmen can last a while longer in active politics.
Why should one elderly person going on a hunger strike with some unimportant people around him with a not so unreasonable demand to pass a stronger Lokpal bill, scare the daylights out of the congress party? Also do the varied views on this issue within the party suggest a power struggle in Sonia Gandhi's absence?
Ram Bharose Bharath Shasan ki Jai!!!!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Anna Hazare vs. Sawant Committee Report
If one wants to look fair-skinned there are two things he can do. One, to use cosmetics ad bleachers to gain fairness. Two, paint all the other faces around him black.
Shree 'Only-notional-loss to-the-exchequer' Sibal is at at again. When you face danger from a foe, the best form of defence is to malign him. He and Manish Tiwari are shouting at the top of their voices that Anna Hazare is himself corrupt and a high-court appointed committee has indicted Mr Hazare and an NGO for spending Rs. 2.20 Lakh on Mr. Hazare's Birthday Bash.
My problem with this is:
Let us for a moment presume that Mr. Sibal and his cronies are correct and that indeed Mr Hazare is guilty of misconduct. But does this exclude Mr. Hazare's right to ask for the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed? Anyway he iis daring you to file a FIR against him and conduct an inquiry. Why don't you do that? This vociferous reaction just goes to show that he scares you to your bones. Or else how could a 'non-governmental' type (as described by one of you) , a petite khaadi wearing man you is not your ilk can do to you?
Why was this 'Fact' discovered now? This is a matter of circa 2005. So some digging for sharp stones to be pelted at Hazare was obviously done at the last minute. If you cannot question the matter the man is professing then question the man's integrity. f integrity was anything to go by at all, my dear sirs, then none of yours would hold any water.Each of you is smeared with some dirt or the other. So don't push it.
Anyway, how is this integrity matter relevant to the passing of the bill?
If the choice of Hazare's venue was not scuttled by the PMO as it says and if it is the prerogative of the Delhi Police, then why as Kapil Sibal defying and explaining all this while about how wrong it is to have the fasting in Jantar Mantar and how it would amount to suicide. That explanation could have been given by the Delhi Police. Why should the Congress feel responsible to give explanations? Does this not show that the Congress is two-faced? In-charge when it suits them and disown responsibility when not?
And if allowing indefinite fasting amounts to suicide then the Congress who is the ruling party should urgently do something to stop the Jain monks and Jain devotees from practicing Sallekhana which is in vogue in our country from the time of the Thirthankaras itself. In this rite too the ones who have vowed to take Sallekhana fast unto death. Dear Congress, please stop that.
It looks like the two big parties have trained their spokespersons to dodge important questions by screaming and kicking in the air and therefore avoid any admissions to wrongdoing. It would be in the better interests of the congress to issue a gag order on Kapil Sibal, Digvijay Singh, Manish Tiwari, Ambika Soni, Jayanthi Natarajan and Renuka Chowdhary. The less they speak the lesser the damge to the party's image. With the same token I would advise BJP to ask Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman to take the backseat than to make illogical argument and avoid direct questions. She too failed utterly to give any convincing answer about Yediyurappa and his money-power.
Congress cannot answer questions like why it did not take action against Kalmadi and A Raja in spite of eminent personalities and members of the public cried foul and presented evidence after evidence to prove their guilt.
BJP could not answer why Yediyurappa was allowed to continue in power for 4 full days after he was asked to leave and what helplessness it had in bowing to Yediyurappa's advise (or orders, if you may)on who should be the next CM of Karnataka. Absolutely rotten!
It is for this very reason the aam admi wants the Jan Lokpal bill to be passed so that this decaying flesh of the country i.e. corrupt-politicians/ bureaucrats could be removed or at least attempted to be removed.
Since when did one start asking the chicken ' Should I make the chicken-curry or not?'?
Shree 'Only-notional-loss to-the-exchequer' Sibal is at at again. When you face danger from a foe, the best form of defence is to malign him. He and Manish Tiwari are shouting at the top of their voices that Anna Hazare is himself corrupt and a high-court appointed committee has indicted Mr Hazare and an NGO for spending Rs. 2.20 Lakh on Mr. Hazare's Birthday Bash.
My problem with this is:
Let us for a moment presume that Mr. Sibal and his cronies are correct and that indeed Mr Hazare is guilty of misconduct. But does this exclude Mr. Hazare's right to ask for the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed? Anyway he iis daring you to file a FIR against him and conduct an inquiry. Why don't you do that? This vociferous reaction just goes to show that he scares you to your bones. Or else how could a 'non-governmental' type (as described by one of you) , a petite khaadi wearing man you is not your ilk can do to you?
Why was this 'Fact' discovered now? This is a matter of circa 2005. So some digging for sharp stones to be pelted at Hazare was obviously done at the last minute. If you cannot question the matter the man is professing then question the man's integrity. f integrity was anything to go by at all, my dear sirs, then none of yours would hold any water.Each of you is smeared with some dirt or the other. So don't push it.
Anyway, how is this integrity matter relevant to the passing of the bill?
If the choice of Hazare's venue was not scuttled by the PMO as it says and if it is the prerogative of the Delhi Police, then why as Kapil Sibal defying and explaining all this while about how wrong it is to have the fasting in Jantar Mantar and how it would amount to suicide. That explanation could have been given by the Delhi Police. Why should the Congress feel responsible to give explanations? Does this not show that the Congress is two-faced? In-charge when it suits them and disown responsibility when not?
And if allowing indefinite fasting amounts to suicide then the Congress who is the ruling party should urgently do something to stop the Jain monks and Jain devotees from practicing Sallekhana which is in vogue in our country from the time of the Thirthankaras itself. In this rite too the ones who have vowed to take Sallekhana fast unto death. Dear Congress, please stop that.
It looks like the two big parties have trained their spokespersons to dodge important questions by screaming and kicking in the air and therefore avoid any admissions to wrongdoing. It would be in the better interests of the congress to issue a gag order on Kapil Sibal, Digvijay Singh, Manish Tiwari, Ambika Soni, Jayanthi Natarajan and Renuka Chowdhary. The less they speak the lesser the damge to the party's image. With the same token I would advise BJP to ask Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman to take the backseat than to make illogical argument and avoid direct questions. She too failed utterly to give any convincing answer about Yediyurappa and his money-power.
Congress cannot answer questions like why it did not take action against Kalmadi and A Raja in spite of eminent personalities and members of the public cried foul and presented evidence after evidence to prove their guilt.
BJP could not answer why Yediyurappa was allowed to continue in power for 4 full days after he was asked to leave and what helplessness it had in bowing to Yediyurappa's advise (or orders, if you may)on who should be the next CM of Karnataka. Absolutely rotten!
It is for this very reason the aam admi wants the Jan Lokpal bill to be passed so that this decaying flesh of the country i.e. corrupt-politicians/ bureaucrats could be removed or at least attempted to be removed.
Since when did one start asking the chicken ' Should I make the chicken-curry or not?'?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
PREDICTIONS THAT HAVE COME TRUE
Earlier in m y blog I had predicted that the reason BJP would sacrifice its pet lamb in Karnataka was only to ask for the King's head in Delhi and check-mate Congress. As I am writing this blog , a heated debate is on in the Parliament where members of the opposition are pouncing on the ruling party and asking for Three Heads: Those of the PM, Chidambaram and Shiela Dixit.
My other prediction on Karnataka BJP status is yet to come true. i.e. BJP will start warring within its factions and would collapse on itself. Now the factions have bought peace and are in a truce mode. But knowing our politicians' infinite capacity for greed, truce won't last forever. It is a matter of time before one of the two factions draws first blood. Just wait and watch. Or they would say in the yester years " Mundina Katheyannu Paradeya mele nodi anadisiri" ( Watch the whole story on the cinema screen and enjoy.).
Progression of events would be like this: Yeddy will lose control over Sadananda Gowda and the Reddy Bros will spew venom over Yeddy as he would have failed them. Yeddy will remain a loner and HD Kumaraswamy will take advantage of the situation have talks with Shettar/ Eeshwarappa faction and topple BJP govt. As it is many MLAs are dissatified with the choice of Gowda as the CM.
Wonder what the Reddy Bros. are up to these days. It is too a matter of time before they start squabbling among themselves as to who was responsible for their political demise. With almost no mining activity going on, the bros are rendered jobless and for time-pass they have to fight with one another.
Reminds me of Kanakadasa's immortal words: Yaaru Sangada Baahorilla (No one walks with you (when you depart)).
My other prediction on Karnataka BJP status is yet to come true. i.e. BJP will start warring within its factions and would collapse on itself. Now the factions have bought peace and are in a truce mode. But knowing our politicians' infinite capacity for greed, truce won't last forever. It is a matter of time before one of the two factions draws first blood. Just wait and watch. Or they would say in the yester years " Mundina Katheyannu Paradeya mele nodi anadisiri" ( Watch the whole story on the cinema screen and enjoy.).
Progression of events would be like this: Yeddy will lose control over Sadananda Gowda and the Reddy Bros will spew venom over Yeddy as he would have failed them. Yeddy will remain a loner and HD Kumaraswamy will take advantage of the situation have talks with Shettar/ Eeshwarappa faction and topple BJP govt. As it is many MLAs are dissatified with the choice of Gowda as the CM.
Wonder what the Reddy Bros. are up to these days. It is too a matter of time before they start squabbling among themselves as to who was responsible for their political demise. With almost no mining activity going on, the bros are rendered jobless and for time-pass they have to fight with one another.
Reminds me of Kanakadasa's immortal words: Yaaru Sangada Baahorilla (No one walks with you (when you depart)).
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
How Long can a Rubber-Stamp Last?
It is now evident in Karnataka Politics that a rubber-stamp chief minister with absolutely no administrative experience whatsoever is going to rule the roost. Why doesn't Eeshawarappa call him a 'Bachcha' (viz. Renukacharya)? How can a man who does not know the difference between a Home Secretary and a Chief Secretary be made the head os a State Government? But one good thing has emerged from this decaying matter of Karnataka Politics. Now a Lingayat Player will be ruling the state through a Gowda from Dakshina Kannada in a Lingayat-Politician Majorty environment. This is truly National (or should I say state) Integration.
Now that the War Lines have been drawn two things can happen:
One, Eeshwarappa, however pacified he may seem, is undoubtedly baying for blood. So are the Reddy brothers for having being kept out of the power sharing equation. Also are Ananth Kumar Jagadish Shettar et al. Not to forget Basavraj Bommai for that wrap on the knuckle (or slap on the face for that matter). These will be waiting for that exact moment where, they feel, Sadanand Gowda commits a political error and then they will pounce on him.
Or
Two,The Rubber-stamp effect will wear out and Mr. Sadananda Gowda will be a new-found Tiger if the Reddy Bros. & Co commit themselves to help him in by-passing Yediurappa.So in spite of having his way our Yeddy is sure to spend sleepless nights all through the remainder of the term of the party governance.
"Those who do not learn from History will be compelled to repeat it."
-George Santayana
Do you remember Emperor Ashoka (before the Kalinga war i.e)? He too spent sleepless nights fearing one or all of his brothers would kill him and he ended up killing them all.Here the killing may not be physical (I sure hope so!), but there will be attempts from both sides for Political (not physical) Assassinations. Eventually the party like a dying giant star will collapse on itself and will become a big black hole and will not be heard of for a long long time. Cheers to that.
The BJP which, as it is, is deficient in able national leadership which enjoys the respect of all its members, is faced with a new dilemma. The Choice is between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea. Choose Yeddy and gang, you'll lose loyal party workers who are older and politically more mature than Mr. Loose Pants. On the other side, if they choose loyalists, Yeddy will throw a tantrum like a child who has not been given candy in a candy store and bring the 'house' down.
By the way, did any one see Venkaiah Naidu's Laptop? Seems like he had it when he went in and didn't when he left the negotiations. Sympathies. May be Prerana Trust can donate him one.
Now that the War Lines have been drawn two things can happen:
One, Eeshwarappa, however pacified he may seem, is undoubtedly baying for blood. So are the Reddy brothers for having being kept out of the power sharing equation. Also are Ananth Kumar Jagadish Shettar et al. Not to forget Basavraj Bommai for that wrap on the knuckle (or slap on the face for that matter). These will be waiting for that exact moment where, they feel, Sadanand Gowda commits a political error and then they will pounce on him.
Or
Two,The Rubber-stamp effect will wear out and Mr. Sadananda Gowda will be a new-found Tiger if the Reddy Bros. & Co commit themselves to help him in by-passing Yediurappa.So in spite of having his way our Yeddy is sure to spend sleepless nights all through the remainder of the term of the party governance.
"Those who do not learn from History will be compelled to repeat it."
-George Santayana
Do you remember Emperor Ashoka (before the Kalinga war i.e)? He too spent sleepless nights fearing one or all of his brothers would kill him and he ended up killing them all.Here the killing may not be physical (I sure hope so!), but there will be attempts from both sides for Political (not physical) Assassinations. Eventually the party like a dying giant star will collapse on itself and will become a big black hole and will not be heard of for a long long time. Cheers to that.
The BJP which, as it is, is deficient in able national leadership which enjoys the respect of all its members, is faced with a new dilemma. The Choice is between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea. Choose Yeddy and gang, you'll lose loyal party workers who are older and politically more mature than Mr. Loose Pants. On the other side, if they choose loyalists, Yeddy will throw a tantrum like a child who has not been given candy in a candy store and bring the 'house' down.
By the way, did any one see Venkaiah Naidu's Laptop? Seems like he had it when he went in and didn't when he left the negotiations. Sympathies. May be Prerana Trust can donate him one.
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