Pointers for Understanding the Gujarat Lokayukta Confusion

The Gujarat Lokayukta issue is being discussed at various levels. But what is unclear is who exactly is to be blamed? There is surely a lot that has gone wrong in the state, and all of it has surely been guided by an individual or a groups vested interests. Here are a few facts that were presented by the Congress committee to the president. None of these are allegation or rumors, but simple and true facts that clearly highlight the foul play of the Modi government. Read and judge for yourself.

Lokayukta are to be appointed by the governor, on advisory consultation with the High Court and an approval from the Leader of the Opposition by law under Gujarat Lokayukta Act, 1986.
http://scr.bi/o3yJNX (Point number 3)

The protocol and procedure had been stalled by the Modi government for seven and a half years, to prevent their misdeeds from being highlighted. This is a violation of law and protocol to be followed as the CM is bound by his oath before he takes up office.

There are examples from the past, where the governor has appointed the Lokayukta without any consent or consideration with the ruling party; these facts have been cleverly excluded in the current situation by the Modi government. They are as follows: Justice D H Shukla (1988-93), Justice I C Bhatt (1993-98) and Justice S M Soni (1998-2003) were appointed by the Governor with his own signature and warrant. No Cabinet Resolution was given to the Governor by way of suggestion or assistance in this regard.

Great depths were discovered to not allow the Lokayukta appointment. Modi government went to the extent of setting up a new commission would look into certain matter that were being raised by people. The cleverness worked as the commission was under the ruling parties control, and would not go against it. It would also prevent a Lokayukta to investigate same issues as they were already under investigation by the biased commission that was setup. The commission was lead by Justice M B Shah; the same man who was given the fake encounters case against the Modi government.

Low stooping politics has also been resorted to off late to prevent the Lokayukta appointment from being occupied. Justice R A Mehta, who was discredited by the Modi government on some hypothetical arguments to prevent him from taking up the office in concern, it is surprising because the same man’s house is where Anna Hazare Resides on his Gujarat visits. Thus his character has to be impeccable to attract to man like Mr. Hazare. Hence the Modi government’s doubts are no more than baseless statements, designed to prevent the truth from being known.

The Chief Minister of Gujarat in involved in corruption of crores of rupees and even Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has detected corruption and faulty administration of Rs.26, 651 crore. As per the Lokayukta Act, it can investigate cases which are less than five years old. Anyhow Chief Minister Modi wants to buy time so that his corruption cases are not investigated.

The overall chaos of the situation can be put upon the BJP, as they have asked for the recall of the governor on basis of the Lokayukta confusion. Despite of knowing that the governor has acted in full accord with the laws that have been laid, and examples that have preceded him.

A detailed memorandum about the above issue and other problems of the State was given to the President by the delegation which had Congress members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, MLAs and members of core committee.

Conclusion:  The Modi government needs to be ousted and brought before the law to be tried for the breach of constitutional machinery, use of criminal methods, breach of peoples trust and misuse of public office for personal gain.   

Who is Our Leader? BJP Wonders!

The problem within the BJP was sensed a while back, with the mild stench resulting out of internal friction between the top leaders. But the recent development is a proof to the worsening situation. A few weeks back Nitin Gadkari, the party president had released a statement saying his party will run for the 2014 elections, not by putting a face to the party but by presenting the entire party as a collective unit. This statement was contradicted by another senior leader Arun Jaitley. Yesterday he made claims that the party will run for the elections with a decisive face. He also made it clear though, that the decision will come in time and there is no need for them to be considering this right now.

The BJP has been facing a certain internal crisis ever since the old generation combo of people like Vajpayee and Advani stopped working. To make matters worse the second generation of the party is not able to come up with a decisive strategy for the future. The entire situation has been brought to light in the most confused manner, out of L.K. Advani’s announcement, where he mentioned taking a Rath Yatra around the country to fight corruption.

Not only is Advani’s move a copy of the last successful movement within the country, but it also is being called a final attempt at securing backing for the 2014 PM office. These allegations could be ignored, had they come flying from unknown corners, but the matter is getting its share of attention because such statements are coming from within the BJP party. Overall, the BJP seems to be unorganized and unplanned at the moment. We can only hope that they are able to do the job of a prominent and righteous opposition that they have often claimed to be. 

Is this the final turn that Modi will ever take

The most recent development in Gujarat has come to the attention of the entire country. It is the arrest of the top cop Sanjeev Bhatt, on the charges of threatening his subordinate. The situation is not as simple as it seems which hopefully is being seen by the people of this country. Because this officer is none other than the one who alleged complicity of Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots that had affected the entire state, and had led to the death of more than 2000 Muslims.

Hence this move, according to me is one of the most bold and most naïve ones from the side of Narendra Modi. It is more than obvious that after distracting the masses from the 2002 issue, with the aid of the ‘sadbhavna’ fast and the rally at the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Modi assumed that it was time to completely remove all hurdles from his path. To add to the pressure, there is the internal rift that is on within the BJP, especially between the two prominent 2014 candidates of the party, LK Advani and Modi himself.

Although the cop has been arrested, the pressure is only increasing on Modi in the form of a backlash from the masses, and I would say it is well deserved. Because the day a nation stoops to the level where whistleblowers can be so easily removed from public sight, will be the true end of our democracy and of our hope towards a better future. Thus I decided to highlight a few important factors from this situation that clearly highlight the real scenario from the fake one that is being projected by the Modi government.

Firstly, the charge that he has been arrested on was filed three months ago, and surprisingly for all this while there was no information or activity carried out on the issue.

Secondly, the precise complaint is said to be an FIR registered by KD Pant, one of the constables of the Gujarat police, who had worked as Bhatt’s driver during the 2002 riots.

Thirdly, the constable in context is the same one who was being defended by Bhatt under the claim that Pant was threatened with dire consequences and arrest by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing some of the 2002 riot cases on the directions of the Supreme Court. He had further alleged Pant was virtually treated like an accused by the SIT during his questioning on April 5, 2011.

If these contradictions are not enough to tell the true story, then there is more that one can get convinced with. 

Ever since Bhatt’s arrest his house has been raided twice by the cops. Moreover his wife has written to all the senior officials in the state about the misconduct with which these searches are being carried out. She also stated that Bhatt was "surprisingly shifted to the City Crime Branch which has bad reputation of fake encounters".

In a surprising take, the BJP has backed the arrest of the 1988 IPS batch officer. With the claim that just because someone points a finger at Narendra Modi, does not mean that the law ceases to exist for him. The irony of the situation is in the fact that, because one points a finger at Modi, the law suddenly becomes over active towards them.

I have mentioned all the necessary facts above, as for the moment I can only urge the citizens of this country, especially the ones in Gujarat to prevent this unconstitutional activity from happening. There is also the true test of media in this incident, as Bhatt stated from within police custody, "I cannot say anything right now as I am in police custody. It is not the right time. If I want I can say lot of things but would not like to comment. It is now for media to decide what is right and what is wrong."

The Truth behind the Lies against Rahul and Sonia Gandhi

There have been numerous lies that are being spread on the World Wide Web out of either excess of time or absolute lameness. Of the many fake inputs of information that are doing the rounds on the internet every single day, there are a few that are completely outrageous in terms of whom they target and the level of lacking proof that they come with. Hence after facing numerous such emails and posts I thought of writing a clearer version of the reality. As this involves two important members of the political community in India and it is the right of the masses to know the truth which is being buried under lies.

The clarifications that I have produced in this post are related to the two members of Gandhi family, who correctly are the backbone of the congress and are one of the longest serving political families, having contributed many decades to this country. Sometimes these contributions have taken a toll on them, with blood and sweat, yet they continue till date. Hence I thought if any clarification has to begin, it has to be from them. Please do not mistake this as a biased post towards the UPA. It is merely the truth for my fellow citizens, irrespective of which party they support and what their personal ideologies and perceptions are.

Firstly, let us begin with the question raised often over the internet against Rahul’s arrest at the Boston airport, with alleged 1, 60,000 $ in cash.  

Truth: Mr. Subramanian Swamy has a habit of cooking up stories, using his fake persona to spread fictional notions. Quite recently a PIL that was filed against Mr. Gandhi’s Boston detention, was rejected by the Allahabad HC. The proof towards which is pasted underneath. 

·       

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-03-09/india/27857680_1_pil-rashtra-raksha-manch-petition

·     http://hindu.com/2001/09/30/stories/02300003.htm

·        http://satyameva-jayate.org/2007/11/15/rahul-gandhi-boston-2001/

Secondly, let us discuss the issue that has been the cheapest defamation act against Sonia Gandhi. The issue of her citizenship, which is often considered the reason for her denying the office of the PM.

Truth: She is absolutely a citizen of this country. The claims that suggest otherwise have no proof behind them. Once again the projected claim of Dr. Subramanian Swamy is also a blanket one, for which there is no proof. Knowing the man by his public appearances, one can clearly assume that if he did have any substantial evidence, he would have pursued the matter till its end. But he never does so, because he uses his intelligence only to spot tiny loopholes where commotion can be created, never does he really find something worth sticking to. There were also reports that the then President APJ Abdul Kalam raised the issue of citizenship with Mrs. Gandhi during one of their meets. This too is an absolute lie proven by the following statement that was released officially by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

19-05-2004 : Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

PRESS RELEASE

It has been reported in a section of the press that the President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had discussed the citizenship issue with Smt. Sonia Gandhi when she met him yesterday at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is contrary to facts. It did not figure in the discussions at all."

Press releases dating back to 2004 are unavailable on president of India's website. They were removed after 2007 Presidential elections. But one can always get a hard copy from President's Secretariat. Press information Bureau’s link: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=1730 is as credible as original source.

Referring to the Citizenship Act 1955, Mrs. Gandhi is a valid citizen of India. Please read for more information.

 https://www.facebook.com/notes/gaurav-pandhi/referring-to-the-citizenship-act-1955-mrs-gandhi-is-a-valid-citizen-of-india-ple/235663383147262

 The proof of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s citizenship under the citizenship act of 1955 is as follows.

·         http://mha.nic.in/pdfs/ic_act55.pdf

·        http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=1730

·         https://www.facebook.com/notes/gaurav-pandhi/referring-to-the-citizenship-act-1955-mrs-gandhi-is-a-valid-citizen-of-india-ple/235663383147262

Thirdly, let us look into the often received claims that challenge the Gandhi families’ education background.

Truth: Before I provide the clarification to the best of my ability, let me point out that it takes a really lame and bored person to be putting in so much effort behind spreading lies. Solely because the people against whom they are spread are of presence, and hence the lie is also bound to get a little share of their attention. The questions that have been raised against Rahul and Sonia Gandhi’s education have never seen the light of day for more than an instant. This is because they are one of the most foolish accusations that have been raised against the Gandhi family. Sonia Gandhi received her English certificate course from Lenox Cook School purportedly coming under the University of Cambridge, in 1965.Rahul Gandhi on the other hand was a student at the University of Cambridge as a member of Trinity College from 1994 to 1995, as was officially confirmed by the press and publications office of Cambridge University. For those who cannot judge from their speeches and decorum the level of their education, read through and see the proof yourself.

·         

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/international/publications/india.pdf

·        http://ia.rediff.com/election/2004/apr/20rahul.htm

·        http://www.aicc.org.in/new/press-briefings-29-apr-09.htm

·        http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-05-18/india/27877879_1_sonia-gandhi-affidavit-janata-party-president

·        http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/apr/11sonia.htm

·        http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/19/stories/2007051907201200.htm

Conclusion:

Even after my little effort, I am sure that the lies will not stop. Yet I hope that at least a few people will realize that these allegations are always raised in the manner of a ‘shot in the dark’. There is never any substantial proof or evidence to back them up with. Because if there was, people would not be spreading these lies over the internet, they would rather be submitting them to news agencies or to the legal bodies present within our country.

The Advani Yatra- Hypocrisy Shall not Prevail

 A little research shows that Advani cannot blindly follow the BJP trail of visiting all states under the party. It is so because, out of the misuse and ill rule of the BJP, Advani is likely to face maximum backlash from these very states. Thus according to experts the few states that he can still consider are Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and the dilemmatic Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

Gujarat is already submerged in the Lokayukta battle, and the black marketing of alcohol. Madhya Pradesh is buried in rampant corruption, along with the CBI enquiry of the Shehla Masood murder, an activist who was fighting against BJP to stop the illegal mining activities. Chhattisgarh has no Lokayukta again, yet it has Babulal Agrawal who is taunted as being the richest bureaucrat in the country with illegal assets worth Rs 253 crores. Uttarakhand has recently seen the shuffle of the CM, which is inherent proof of rampant scams facing the local government. Bihar does have Mr. Nitish Kumar as a saving grace, but along with him there is also the 11,412 Crore treasury scam and Rs 1784 Crore of mismanagement and irregularities in the implementation of government funded schemes as pointed out by CAG. Jharkhand remains an option with Munda. But he has his priority set on remaining a CM, as the state has a tendency to chuck them out. 

On loosing most of these BJP ruled states there are not too many option left for Mr. Advani. He can choose Maharashtra, but it has a BJP and Shiv Sena battle raging that will not work in his favor. He can choose Karnataka, but that would be the suicide of an anti corruption Yatra, because major scams have hit the state in the past and Advani cannot dare to speak on them openly. Uttar Pradesh remains as the last option, but here again there are no BJP ministers with the right backing to give Advani the welcome and stay that he would have in mind.

Conclusion

The question still remains, if the BJP ruled states are out of question for the Yatra, then where exactly can he go, and what is the underlying objective behind this entire move. Is there actually a net benefit that can be achieved, or is the entire decision of taking a Yatra, one of haste and hypocrisy?

The absolute truth will only be found once the Yatra begins, in whichever direction that he may plan to take it. The true shades of the vested interest will be visible, the minute the real issues are nor talked about nor highlighted bleakly. The conclusion that faces the masses of this country today is this; L.K. Advani’s Yatra is not one designed for a real fight against corruption or for the masses. It is not even aimed at achieving a better shade for the BJP. All that remains as of today is the hope of doing well for his own image, and to collect whatever networks and funds that might be available along the way. One can clearly say that such a hasty decision is not what was expected of him, and never has been. To have such a farsighted yet unclear aim, without a planned path is an act of naiveté and resulting hypocrisy. Which will be found in the form of no gain, for Advani’s Rath Yatra? 

Advani Being Stubborn with Yatra, BJP Blind Towards Chaos

It is fairly obvious that L.K. Advani has initiated the Yatra with more of himself and less of his party in mind. There seems to be a new trend in the country, which is fighting corruption to secure the vote banks. The only person, who really had his intentions behind it, does not want to enter politics, Anna Hazare. The others, who only wish to secure their place in the polity, are using this as an instrument of mass reach. Narendra Modi got over with his fast on the 19^th September, 2011. The entire act backfired, with his PM rumors showing their downside, and with the lineup of BJP ministers at Ahmedabad failing to reassure and regain the faith of the people in BJP.  

To add to the commotion is the Advani Rath Yatra, which he plans to initiate on the 11^th of October. The idea again is to fight corruption. The media and the masses over online social forums have already started criticizing the superficiality of the claim. But this is not the real trouble for Mr. Advani. It is in fact the internal party conflicts that must be worrying the 84 year old. Who seems to be making a final attempt at regaining his stature in the country, as it used to be during the Vajpayee times, and maybe also making a final attempt at the PM chair?

During the Modi fast, the CM of Bihar, Nitish Kumar announced openly the withdrawal of his parties support to BJP, if the Gujarat CM stood for the PM lineup. A very similar notion has been raised by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He has summoned Advani to meet him at Nagpur on the 21^st of September 2011. His demand is similar to what Nitish’s was in lieu of Modi. The RSS chief wants to converse over the non consultation that preceded Advani’s announcement for the Yatra. Media sources conveyed that RSS chief would like Advani to announce that he will not be running for the PM seat in 2014, which he did on the same day after his meeting with the respective leaders of BJP and RSS.   

It seems that no one in BJP wants anyone to be the PM. Or as is obvious, too many people are in a line up to be the PM. 

Thus the only highlight that comes to mind is the BJP leader Gadkari’s statement, which claimed that the 2014 elections will not be held with a party face but rather as a collective unit. As the clashes are the new trend within BJP, even this statement of the party president was contradicted by Arun Jaitley, who claimed that 2014 elections will be fought with a party face, and the face will be decided when needed and has not been done as yet.

The entire situation screams of a lacking plan. As for Modi, there is too much dirt on him to even imagine being the PM, there is the Lokayukta issue, then the 2002 issue and to add to it a failed fast and an indecisive party. For Advani the situation is worse, as the fakeness of his Yatra has become clear even before its start, and to add to the fight there are party colleagues who are not showing all out support, rather demanding acceptance of conditions like no PM stint, before providing their support. The under discussed chaotic elements of the BJP are no better. Sushama Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Gadkari are also functioning without a plan, and are swaying to high and low pressure zones in a balancing effect.

The masses don’t have a permanent memory, but collectively they do have a relevant memory. Hence it would not be a long shot to say that, congress might pull off the 2014 elections also, not because of their Great Spirit and Halo, but because of the Chaos, Disorder and Internal Conflicts of the BJP.