The currency hill!

The currency hill!

Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of Bengal, derided the investigative agencies, the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, for their raids and summons of many of their office bearers. She exhorted the million-plus audience by saying, “Don’t fear the agencies, which are stooges of the Central Government. Welcome them, give them a seat, and give them Muri to eat,” she taunted.

Little did the CM realize that her words would be prophetic in less than twenty-four hours of the Martyrs’ Day Rally. The E.D. and CBI arrested and hauled the General Secretary of her party and a senior minister in her cabinet, Partha Chatterjee, the minister for Commerce and Industries and the former minister for education, over the recruitment scams in school and college teachers.

Though the arrest of the minister was long expected, the T.V. channels burst into hyper-activity over the seizure of nearly Rs.21 crores at the flat of Arpita Mukherjee, an actor, and a model, allegedly ‘close’ to the minister. Unlike in other parts of India, Bengal seldom has witnessed such a huge amount of cash seized. Crafty minds explained that the money belonged to a Puja club in the vicinity and, as an afterthought, the money was the earnings of the actor.

Sadly, corruption has steeped deep into the State’s ethos in every aspect. Devoid of many industries and employment, save realty, West Bengal is a thriving area for corruption from land deals and property transactions. Recruitment of every kind tweaked laws and rules until the High Court began monitoring the matter closely.

Mamata, a PM aspirant for 2024, has been repeatedly let down by her greedy colleagues; in the Sarada scam, Narada Sting, coal scam, cut-money allegations, rule of syndicates and now the recruitment scams. None knew the extent of alternate revenue these scams generated. Many of her colleagues have served sentences and returned to their party’s embrace with no remorse or shame. Mamata is trying in vain to blame the investigative agencies as engaged in a witch-hunt against political opponents, which increasingly is sounding weak and unmaintainable.

There is still time for Didi to daringly clean up the mess around her and afflicting her political future. Didi must not forget Uttar Pradesh’s once supremo, Mayawati Ji, who is devoid of any political address in India today. Mamata’s rise is meteoric, and it is not long before the setting in of anti-incumbency and protests.

Mamata is taking a sensible and mature stand, not to gherao the CBI H.Q. against the harassment and torment of her senior most party colleague Partha, unlike in many instances before. Law must take its course, and as it seems now, the recruitment scam will take the minister and many of his colleagues down politically.

A whisper in the political corridors is that there has been a quiet understanding between the TMC and the BJP regarding the abstaining of Vice Presidential elections and scapegoating a few colleagues on corruption charges. The party has clearly stated that it will be the liability of those accused to come clean and that the money seized does not belong to the TMC. ‘You are on your own to defend,’ seems the strong message, a climb down from the bravado shown on the July 21 Martyrs’ rally.

Lastly, is the Modi-led BJP helping the generation of political black money by not demonetizing the higher denomination notes above Rs. 100? The arrested actor might have been blessed with a much larger home to store Rs.21 crores in Rs.100 denomination, which is now lost.

Shame is all that I feel!

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix