Shiban Khaibri
A few days back, irate passengers in Pakistan prevented former Interior Minister Rehman Malik from boarding a flight after they had to wait on board for nearly two hours as the politician showed off late at the airport. They jeered at him and ridiculed him for the unwarranted act for “You should be ashamed of yourself”. They forced him retreat and retreat fast. An exasperated passenger told him quite indignantly, “We have taken it for 68 years, are we going to take it another 68 years?” Eventually, the flight of PIA took off from Karachi to Islamabad without Malik and another politician of PML-N Party on board. Citizens, whether of Pakistan or of India or for that matter of any country must give the same type of treatment to those politician cum rulers who think themselves to be over and above the general public for matters of not only all perks, comforts, privileges and fat salaries but also while going office to and fro official residence or traveling within or out of the country. They should now stop behaving with a feudalistic colonial mind set.
Ajit Singh, Ex- union Minister in UPA is occupying a posh bungalow on Tughlaq Road New Delhi to which he is not entitled under rules. He has lost the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and therefore is no more in the government. He should have on his own, on ethical and moral grounds, left the luxurious facility of staying in the sprawling government house within the stipulated time which, however, he has not. Not only has he not been responding positively to various notices and reminders from the government and other authorities in respect of leaving the house as that being public property and could be occupied by only a sitting MP, a minister in the cabinet or any such dignitary who is otherwise entitled under rules to occupy that building, but has been adopting dilly dallying tactics with a view only to remain there perhaps thinking it to be his personal property in token of “having rendered selfless service to the people”. As per reports, the first notice served on him was on June 26 this year when he did not quit the mansion. He was granted one month’s extension. Even after four months, Ajit Singh under one pretext or the other would not leave the house. The thinking by a person that once elected and having thus become “Neta”, lifelong contract of enjoying; occupying, usurping, blackmailing, law breaking and the like had been earned by him or her must be ended. Ready even to face the worst like disconnecting electric and water supply by the NDMC, thus declaring openly that the occupant was not an authorized one; Ajit Singh still did not quit the bungalow. Instead, he arranged a group of his Party supporters and other law breakers from his home state UP to resort to arm twisting, blackmailing and coercive measures to bully the government to restore water and electric supply and perhaps “dare not ever send any notice or reminder about quitting the bungalow”.
It is reprehensible that on Sept 25, hundreds of his supporters from UP threatened to hold millions of people in Delhi to ransom by attempting to cut water supply to entire Delhi through Gang Nahar Regulator in Muradnagar for which these lawbreakers in fact attempted to become like saboteurs. The worst part of the matter is that the incident having taken place in Muradnagar on the Delhi – Gaziabad border and hence under the jurisdiction of the Samajwadi Party government of UP, the unauthorized assembly of these RLD workers and Ajit supporters was allowed by that government. It is also condemnable that the incident to attempt snap water supply to Delhi was done on the day when a distinguished foreign dignitary, the Chinese President was in the capital. The question is that even if these supporters of Ajit Singh would have succeeded in their mission , what legitimacy would have they drawn and what justification would they have given for the act ; only that they wanted illegal occupation, unauthorized possession, ineligible claim to be proved right. Ajit Singh playing castiest card of Jat votes always has never seen beyond that confine in Indian political environs , yet mustering guts to give a clarion call to his supporters playing victim-hood inciting them to cause disturbances and lawlessness to pressurize the government to “forget for ever” to ask him to vacate the bungalow. These protestors resorted to heavy brick batting compelling Police to tear gas and lathi charge the unruly crowd. Many policemen as well as Ajit Singh supporters were injured.
Another twist to the whole drama came to fore with a novel ploy to have the bungalow in question turn into a “memorial for Late Choudhry Charan Singh”. On TV Channels also in the evening, a prominent local leader of RLD was virtually daring the government go ahead with the eviction process. He also wanted the building turn into a memorial. When a memorial called “Kissan Ghat” on a vast plot of land in Delhi is already there in memory of that leader, why one more and why this idea dawned on Ajit Singh and his supporters now and not all these years, at least in UPA regime where he was a minister? Reports are that Ajit Singh’s supporters have hung a banner from the house “declaring” it to be a “memorial” and a few of them have squatted in the premises. Let cults be not propagated as they lead to perpetuating of such obsolete practices like a vicious circle which keep on burdening the already over burned Indian tax payer. Ajit Singh and many of his supporters must be having many acres of land out of which they can erect a good memorial for late Charan Singh, why keep an eye on peoples’ property? Ajit Singh should be made to face the rigors of law for breaking the law and for inciting people to go on a rampage, not only face a forcible eviction. VIP squatting must be contained with conviction to herald a new era of propriety by the elected representatives, the law makers, the rulers of this country. It is shocking and baffling that Congress and NCP should both support and back Ajit Singh to embarrass the Modi government and to influence the Jat votes of Haryana in the ensuing Assembly elections.
The second most rue- able incident of VIP culture to go in for a foreign junket at peoples’ cost is about 15 Congress MLAs from Karnatka . These law makers are for a “refreshing” 18 days – 17 nights European delight trip at a time when Karnatka is battling floods; crops and property in hundreds of crores of Rupees having been lost. People affected there are in distress and need these representatives to help and succour them but the cozy, delightful, attractive and invigorating trip has made them slip into such a hangover that even the Chief Minister is undone and unable to recall them saying,” What can I do…. What can I do, have no authority to call them back?” It is said that owner’s pride is neighbour’s envy, here it is ire of the affected people who do not hesitate to call this trip at public expense in a different manner, “Lunch in Paris and dinner in Rome”, “drink dance and forget home”. Are they celebrating tragedy which has struck their home state, if they really introspect, they must repent, atone and apologize. If Congress Party wants to show some semblance for public accountability, they must deny election tickets to these political revelers at least for two terms.
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