Crafty, cunning and guilty!

Timing plays a crucial part in every aspect of our lives and activities. But the Gandhi family-led protests, attempting to disturb Delhi, besides a few other States in India, is far from an ill-timed move against rising gas prices and GST. The ED has been pursuing the National Herald case and stonewalled by the Congress party and the Gandhis on various pretexts for years together. The recent SC ruling, giving teeth to the ED to pursue PMLA cases unhindered, has thrown the political opposition off-guard.

Sonia ducked all previous summons to appear before the ED, claiming to be sick and unwell, notwithstanding the fa t that there was no visible reduction in her physical activities as an opposition leader. The day Rahul was summoned to the ED, Congress did a repeat of an à la Dandi march, all for the wrong reasons. Most protestors did not know the reason for their protests, which saw the usual destruction of public properties and burning of the voiceless government buses. The Congress scion had to eat the humble pie and attend several sessions of the ED questioning on the National Herald scam.

Sonia had to obey the law, respond to the summons, and appear for questioning. Again, the Congress party repeated the roadblocks and protests. However, facing a backlash on social media and elsewhere, the party changed the label of their protest against price rise and GST. To a layman like me, free rations or heavily subsidized ration is provided by the Indian government in most states. The subsidy on cooking gas has not been withdrawn, despite the Supreme Court and the RBI cautioning the government about the pitfalls of freebies and subsidies, which strains the exchequer.

The LoP, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, joined the permanent protest brigade of parliamentarians, demanding that the Supreme Court recalls their order giving power to the ED to raid and catch corrupt politicians. There is no doubt that the ED’s actions have become more visible now after the green signal by the Apex court. The politicians have considered themselves a privileged class, not answerable under the Indian Constitution or laws. It is a laughable theory that the scramble for tickets to fight elections is driven by the commitment to serve society. The power and the flow of money and privileges are the only reason for most present-day politicians, irrespective of the party they represent.

Sadly, despite often successful investigations, few political leaders have served jail terms for corruption and bribery. Chautala, Lalu Prasad, Kanimozhi, A. Raja, P. Chidambaram, and his son Karti, or a few from Trinamool like Sudip Bandhopadhyay, Tapas Pal could be exceptions. Despite their conviction, little or no money has been recovered. After a few years in jail, the arrested leaders often spent in luxurious 5-star hospitals. Then, they are let off and live long to enjoy their ill-gotten riches.

If Sonia and Rahul are prima facie guilty, they must face the consequences and be treated like any other common criminal. Equating their questioning and possible future arrests with a government’s dictatorship or vendetta is pathetic.

I had seen a regime during the emergency days, which was a dictatorship.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix