Political Diary

New  Delhi, 20 June 2015

LaMo IPL’s Achilles Heel

EXPEDIENCY NAME OF GAME!

By Poonam I Kaushish

A gentleman met a beautiful lady and invited her to bed. She gave him one tight slap. And angrily asked: “How dare you take me for a prostitute’. Not to be browbeaten, the man stubbornly persisted: “I will give you a million dollars if you agree to sleep with me”. Replied the lady: “Now you are talking”. Asserted the man: “Since we have established what you are, we are only haggling over the price!”

Politically translated, it underscores the ongoing maelstrom in New Delhi.    All hell broke lose last week when news leaked that two “close family friends” Union Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje helped disgraced economic offender and absconder ex-IPL czar Lalit Modi.

While Swaraj is accused for facilitating Modi’s travel to Lisbon from London as his Indian passport had been revoked by the Delhi High Court, ostensibly for signing “consent papers” for his wife’s cancer surgery. Whereby, she spoke to the British High Commissioner in New Delhi and British-Indian MP Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee last July

The LaMo tsunami then engulfed another “family friend” Vasundhara Raje then Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. She is guilty of furtively endorsing Modi’s residency application in the UK in 2011 when he was wanted by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering.

This is not all. She explicitly wanted it kept secret from the Indian authorities, “I do so on the strict condition that my assistance will not become known to the Indian authorities,” she declared. Pertinently, she has not denied this. Two, as a quid-pro-quo LaMo obliged by investing over Rs 11 crores in her son and BJP MP Dushyant Singh’s hotel company.

Recall, the flamboyant Modi was the go-to-guy for netas, power brokers and the who's who of everything from big business to sports, showbiz during Raje’s first stint as Chief Minister 2003-08. Reportedly, he had a falling out over differences on control of the Rajasthan Cricket Association late 2014.

True, the two BJP leaders actions might not strictly come under the purview of criminality or conflict of interest but definitely is a case of gross political moral turpitude. Worse, both have been caught red-handed for brazen impropriety vis-à-vis engaging with a foreign Government surreptitiously.

Notwithstanding, Swaraj’s defense that it was a “humanitarian” gesture and she did not derive any material benefit even as her husband and daughter are Modi’s legal counsels. Or Raje conveniently mumbling, “I don’t recollect.” Sic.

Predictably, the BJP’s reaction like other Parties is par on course. From President Amit Shah, Ministerial colleagues even RSS mounted a strong defence for Swaraj by underscoring her action was “nationalist and humane.” Is helping offenders an act of nationalism? On Raje, it trotted out the lame, “There is no technical or legal definition of corruption …..No technical or legal wrongdoing or misappropriation has been proved.” Really?

Undeniably, Prime Minister Modi’s nationalist credentials have take n a big hit, and how! “Main na toh khaata huin na khaane doonga,” tom-tommed he in the run-up to the polls in 2014. A year later, he is mum on the issue of alleged bribes, mammoth moral turpitude which has engulfed his Administration and Party. Will he simply look the other way and allow his USP to be buried under political expediency?

Questionably, is NaMo suffering from amnesia, archetype bragging or is it a case of this-does-not-apply-to-me-and-my-Ministers.  Or should on put it down to a classic case of pot calling the kettle black: Tu-tu-mein-mein of my corrupt leaders’ vs yours.

There is no gainsaying, that Sushma knew her husband is Modi’s lawyer for the last 20 years and her daughter who resides with her, is representing him in the passport revocation case in court, even as her own Ministry is opposing him. Also, it is unexplained how Raje’s son’s defunct company is suddenly infused with funds.

Besides, it is a mystery why Swaraj did not consult colleague Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as the ED falls under his purview or tell her Foreign Secretary to get the issue sorted out instead of being secretive. Why didn't she? Who took the decision not to file an appeal in the Supreme Court after the High Court's decision against revoking Lalit Modi's passport?  Who took the decision to grant Modi a fresh passport?

This apart, why isn't the ED pressing for Modi’s return to India given that the Court got his passport restored in August 2014. Or a team could travel to London to examine and question him? What has the government done to make sure he respects the summons by the Enforcement Directorate? What about Modi's wild claims that he can't come to India because his life is in danger? Can the NDA Government not ensure his safety?

The answer is simple. It has everything to do with politicians and their ‘love’ for sports, read power and money.  A clique of chor chor mausere bhai. Why blame Sushma and Raje alone? Conflict of interest is ripe for the pick in any sports organization.

In fact, LaMo per se is only a symptom of an-all-pervasive malady which has ensnared sports in a vicious Octopus grip in which sport has ceased to be a sport. Wherein, the line between politics and sports has become so obfuscated it has become another unseemly pocket borough of our netagan to wield and earn big money. Big deal if it results in bloopers!

Wherein crores are spent in deals over-the-table and under-the-table in keenly fought elections for control over various sports bodies. Only to generate more money via hijacking Government funds, sponsors, TV and media rights etc and enlarge their fiefdom.

An exemplary example of corruption and crony capitalism is the exclusive Board of Control for Cricket of India (BCCI). The cosy, closed club is a mammoth corporate conglomerate which lacks transparency and is all about wielding power and money.

Moreover, it packed with fat political cats, a virtual who’s who of friends and enemies all rolled into one. Our erudite Finance Minister Jaitley, ex-Congress Minister Rajeev Shukla, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, BJP MP Anurag Thakur doubles as IPL Chairman, RJD Chief Lalu Yadav, represents the Bihar Cricket Association. Alongside a retinue of other netas, who head their respective State cricket bodies.

Sadly this overlap between politics and sports which made LaMo a hero-turned-zero has become the albatross around NaMo’s neck. Politically speaking, it is understandable that given the seniority of the two ladies and the dearth of talent in the Party it is a tough call. At the same time, he should realize nobody is indispensable.

As the Opposition gears up for Parliament’s monsoon session it remains to be seen how the Government is going to stall the domino effect? Will the Prime Minister let the sleazy saga wash away his legislative agenda or will he take the bull by the horns and sacrifice political expediency for upholding the moral high ground. Time will tell! ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and  Feature Alliance)