Harihar Swarup
Days of the BJP President, Nitin Gadkari, appears to be numbered in office following serious charges of corruption against him. The party has to choose between Gadkari and its anti-corruption plank. The party’s anti-corruption crusade has been completely demolished by recent revelations about funds sourced by Purti Power and Sugar Ltd controlled by Gadkari, and fake addresses of most of the significant shareholders, apparently firms controlled by the BJP Chief’s close aides, raised serious concerns about probity in public life.
The issue is important considering Purti apparently received Rs. 164 crores as loans from a subsidiary of a construction firm that won contract when Gadkari was PWD minister in Maharashtra. However, the real irony here is that the BJP has been continuously disrupting Parliament over the corruption issue – while failing to ensure transparency of the workers of its own leaders.
Though Gadkari has denied any wrongdoing and trying to disassociate himself from the Purti brawl by stating he resigned as company’s chairman 14 months back, he is yet to come up with any serious explanation of what occurred under his watch.
In the past, L K Advani set a standard for his party by resigning as Lok Sabha member after his name cropped up in the Hawala scandal. If the BJP sidelined important post holders from Bangaru Laxman to B S Yeddyurappa, can it make Gadkari an exception? No one’s culpability is assumed without investigations into corruption allegation. So, Gadkari should want his name cleared, staying out of key offices till then.
Though the BJP leaders including L K Advani have come to Gadkari’s defense, whispers against him are getting louder. In private, the BJP leaders express themselves against getting second term for Gadkari. As a matter of fact, they never liked him to be elevated to the top post as he has no stature and little known outside Maharashtra. Ram Jethmalani had advised him not to aspire for the second term. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that people in public life must be model of “purity” and “lawfulness”.
The Congress has not gone to town over revelations about the BJP Chief. Barring AICC general Secretary, Digvijay Singh, none of top leaders have tried to make political capital out of unenviable plight of Gadkari. A very cautious Corporate Affairs Minister, Veerappa Moily, has ordered a “discreet inquiry” into funding of the Nagpur-based company in which Gadkari has a stake.
The low-key Congress response is understandable since the party itself has a lot of explaining to do with regard to the conduct of some of its leaders. Virbhadra Singh is the latest among them. He resigned as union steel minister following corruption charges. Leading the Congress poll battle in Himachal Pradesh, he is in trouble. The BJP has accused him of “bribery, money laundering and forgery”.
Besides facing charges related to suspected shell companies financing his business group, he is alleged to have awarded several contracts-during his tenure as PWD minister-to a construction major which later invested in Purti and whose promoter loaned it Rs.164 crore. The controversy, therefore, raises serious questions about conflict of interest that may arise when politicians have business concerns. While business people can’t be barred from politics, clear codes of conduct and monitoring mechanism must ensure the two domains are kept strictly separate.
When scandal-hit public figures relinquish authority, it contributes to cleaning up politics. That said, the anti-graft battle cannot be reduced to scalp hunting. The bigger focus should be on institutional and systemic reforms. For instance, clarity is needed on land use policy, since influential parties make a killing when agriculture land they acquire is subsequently opened up for commercial development.
Should the distinction between agriculture and non-agriculture land be maintained at all? Besides demanding transparency in process involving award on contracts, allocation of resources, public procurement and clearances, we must call for dismantling of land mafias, better electoral funding disclosures, establishment of effective, impartial anti-graft ombudsman, police reforms and leak-proof service delivery system. Defeating corruption requires destruction of its structural props.
While public display of anger will not wash out the sins of both the BJP and the Congress, the current state of affairs is highly demoralizing the people. To regain the public faith, the political parties must purge themselves of criminal and corrupt elements, government agencies must probe every allegation of corruption to book the culprits and courts must speedily try defamation cases and award exemplary damages to discourage the growing tendency of character assassination. (IPA)
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