Shiban Khaibri
At least, it was never expected that the interests of the politicians involved in a brazen cocktail of greed, nepotism and favourtism in the Aadarsh Housing scam would be protected as against the interests of the Kargil war martyrs. None envisaged a scenario of treating so casually, rather totally disregarding the findings of the judicial commission of inquiry on the Aadarsh scam by the Maharashtra Government when the words that, “It is a sad story of unscrupulous greed of some persons closely connected with the society,” could be part of the findings. On Dec 20, the Congress led Government of Maharashtra totally rejected the report of the judicial commission of enquiry on the Aadarash Housing Society scam when the same was tabled in the Legislative Assembly, perhaps because it has reportedly severely indicted many politicians including three former Chief Ministers for blatant violations of the statutory provisions. Instead, the Congress led government at the centre has geared up its loins to examine the possibilities of ordering a judicial probe into an alleged snooping of a woman by Gujarat Police allegedly at the behest of the then state Home Minister and “close aide” of Narendra Modi. Probing charges of some snooping of a woman by some Police personnel is more a serious offence as compared to (in the words of the Aadarash scam judicial commission) ” a shameless tale of blatant violations of statutory provisions, rules and regulations.” In the words of home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, “due deliberations” are underway to take a final decision on the centre’s course of action on the “snoopgate”. It is believed that a cabinet note seeking approval for the proposed judicial enquiry has been prepared and would be brought before the cabinet as and when the political leadership gives the green signal. Just note the comparative priority.
In other words, let it be seen through the prism of the Congress leadership both at the centre and at the state level that the alleged snooping of a woman is far more a serious, critical and the most urgent a matter as compared to the muck of loot in the Aadarsh Housing Society, all done in total disregard of the Nation’s war martyrs who saved Kargil after giving their supreme sacrifice. Astonishingly, within hours of the rejecting of the commission’s findings by the Maharashtra government, the Vice President of the Congress Party Rahul Gandhi while attempting to woo India Inc recently at New Delhi said,” Corruption was bleeding people and that the UPA Government at the centre had done more to combat corruption than any other Government.” How much the corporate leaders in the meeting must have taken Rahul’s words seriously and also most of the countrymen, need hardly to be stressed upon. He says that the “biggest problem is corruption and it is totally unacceptable.” How could he in the same meeting not rise in revolt against the questionable decision of his own Party led Maharashtra government for rejecting the report of the judicial enquiry on the Aadarsh scam? His words would have lent credibility to his intentions had he accorded the same treatment to the rejection of Aadarsh scam report as he had done with the Tainted Politicians ordinance in November this year. Alternately, he should have criticized the move of the Central Government, purely based on political considerations, to accord more importance to snooping than a matter involving the interests of war heroes’ supreme sacrifices vis-à-vis the Aadarsh issue.
It is worth noting and a duty of each Indian to know that the Adarsh scam probe panel in its report has called the scam as a shameless tale of blatant violation of statutory provisions, rules and regulations. It further says that the method and procedure to provide membership to the Housing society was arbitrary and lacked transparency, leaving scope for nepotism and favouritism. The malice of ‘Benami’ ownership has been found at least in as many as 22 flats grossly violating the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act. It is also pertinent to note that the two member judicial commission has passed strictures against senior Maharashtra politicians including former Chief Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan and some sitting ministers in the cabinet.
The report was “perused” by the Maharashtra government for as many as seven months after which it was recently tabled in the Legislative Assembly by CM Prithviraj Chavan saying that the cabinet had rejected the findings. He said that the state cabinet had accepted the judicial commission’s interim report filed in April 2012 (perhaps because) the land on which Aadarsh society was constructed belonged to the State Government and not to the Ministry of Defence. The premise of rejecting the report also rests on the view of the government that the membership to the society was not exclusively reserved for Kargil war heroes or their survivors. It is reported that the 670 page voluminous report called the scam “a shameless tale of blatant violation of statutory provisions, rules and regulations.” It is pertinent to note that the person in respect of whom an avoidable diplomatic row took place with the American Government, the Indian diplomat, now with accredited position, Devyani Khobragade is named in the report submitted by the judicial probe panel along with former assembly speaker, former secretary, former Municipal commissioner and some serving bureaucrats. The report makes the findings thus, “Some persons not satisfied with the allotment of one single flat have tried and succeeded as well in securing flats for their nears and dear ones. They went to the extent of benami transactions in violation of provisions. That such an episode should take place in Maharashtra is a matter of deep regret.” It is also pertinent to underline that Ashok Chavan , the former CM was the only Chief Minister charge sheeted by the CBI but the Governor K. Shankernarayanan has refused sanction to the investigating agency to prosecute him, a few days ago. The public must know the basis and the reasons of the Governor’s decision not to allow prosecution of an ex Chief Minister Ashok Chavan whom the CBI has alleged in the charge sheet that he had increased the floor space index of the Aadarsh Society in lieu of two flats to his relatives. In the loot, although the panel report has identified the beneficiaries including politicians across the spectrum and their relatives, yet CM Prithviraj Chavan said the decision on rejection of the findings of the inquiry commission was taken by the cabinet, “in the interests of the people.” It would have been a wonderful find if the CM would have unraveled the mystery as to how such a cabinet decision of rejecting the report was in larger public interest.
An amount of nearly Rs.7 crore, tax payers’ money, is reported to have been spent on the process of enquiry and by rejecting the report, has every thing alleged, thus proved to be wrong? Have thus the interests of the war martyrs and their immediate relatives been fully protected in the Aadarsh? Was it all a “conspiracy” of the opposition to malign the “honest” persons associated with the Aadarsh or post probe panel report – can it be said that a “Gore Anarath” has been done with the “Aadarsh” by the all powerful in our democratic set up and finally an epitaph has been scripted for the Adarash Housing Society scam? The reply is awaited.
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