Saturday, March 19, 2011

WIKILEAKS AT IT AGAIN – MANMOHAN IN TROUBLE

Now that it has become clear that what all many of us had expected in 2008 was correct. That the UPA I govt of Prime Minister Dr.ManMohan Singh had in order to win confidence motion bribed a few MPs have Wikileaked to the shock and surprise of all. Shocking because as Sitaram Yechury, Rajya Sabha member and CPI(M) leader mentioned the UPA govt’s act was an instance of ‘gross degeneration of political morality and crass opportunism’. Crass opportunism because with the departure of CPI(M) from the UPA alliance over the issue of Civil-Nuclear deal with USA the govt which got reduced to a minority used unfair means to canvass fence-sitters by paying lavishly and as per Wikileaks estimates Rs. 50-60 crores. All these informations were sent by US Embassy in India to USA the information which landed in the hands of Wikileaks which ultimately leaked it to India’s respected daily ‘The Hindu which is widely acclaimed for its credibility. CPI leader Gurudas Das Gupta who initiated the discussion in Parliament yesterday wondered whether ‘Our control room is USA?’. The Indian Prime Minister’s love-affair with USA, particularly the then President George W Bush, still widely known and that led the gentleman to mortgage the interests of our nation to USA. His ‘famous’ utterance to George Bush Jr. that ‘Indian people are very fond of you’ created much of a ruckus among a major section of Indians once and that utterance is still etched on the walls of our minds.
The revelation that Dr.Singh the ‘so-called honest’ man did try to win the confidence motion over the civil nuclear deal has virtually demolished his image of a man of integrity and like the proverbial child one is tempted to declare ‘see the king is naked’.
First Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) turned out to be his soft target, then Shiromani Akali Dal was targeted with the help of controversial Padma Vibhushan winner Sant Chatwal but the attempt failed. Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party (SP) was won over, remember Amar Singh ji was part and parcel of SP then Shibu Soren’s JMM was won over then our PM’s attention turned towards the main opposition party BJP and with the help of close confidents tried to drive a wedge in that ‘cadre-based’ party attempt failed but at last with a short margin the govt survived. Satish Sharma still a Minister in the UPA II govt and a confident of Nehru’s family played a crucial role in roping in smaller parties and his Secretary Nachiket Kapur reportedly showed a suitcase containing Rs 50-60 crore to an American Embassy official to bribe the members. Civil-nuclear issue was a prestige of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and they wanted it to be passed in Parliament, come what may.
Now that skeletons have tumbled out of the closet and that everything has emerged a public secret the demand to either deny the Wikileaks revelations or resign from the post of Prime Minister have put Dr.ManMohan Singh in a spot. All parties outside the UPA like SP and Janata Dal (U) have unanimously demanded the govt to come out with facts and figures to clear all doubts in this regard.
But no. The so-called trouble-shooter in the UPA alliance, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji has intervened with a ludicrous logic that since the incident had occurred in 2008 ie. during the UPA I govt and now that this is UPA II govt dragging the issue now is out of question. Really laughable. But sir, the 2G Spectrum issue arose during the UPA I govt but all related incidents happened during UPA II and going by the logic of Pranab Mukherji the Spectrum issue should not have been probed and it should have been closed then and there.
Yesterday our Prime Minister made a funny argument in Parliament about the ‘unverified and unverifiable’ leaks and also argued that while BJP came out with 138 seats and Leftists down to 24 his party alone wrested 206 seats in the 15th Loksabha elections and that itself was a show of sterling performance by the UPA II. Dr. Singh should not forget one reality, a stark reality that ‘paid news syndrome’ was ruling the roost while the 15th Lok Sabha election campaigns were around. The vulnerable fell to the temptations and it became quite easier for the rich contestants to romp home.
Owning up moral responsibility our Prime Minister should show the courtesy of resigning his post rather than clinging to the post.

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