Political Diary

New Delhi, 15 December 2015

Choo Mantar, Haath Ki Safai

POLITICAL VENDETTA, REALLY?

By Poonam I Kaushish

This is a tale of two political systems and how they deal with malfeasance. In the US a powerful Democrat Sheldon Silver who has served in the New York State Assembly for 38 years and has been Speaker for 21 was arrested by the FBI last January and indicted on five corruption charges, each carrying a 20 years sentence. His crime? Amassing tremendous personal fortune through the abuse of his political power. Which Silver, of course denies. His opponents stay quite.

In India, the Congress First Family Ma-Beta Sonia and Rahul are the centerpiece of the infamous National Herald case filed by BJP maverick Subramanian Swamy entailing cheating and criminal breach of trust in 2012. Last week the Delhi High Court asks them to appear before the trial court on 19 December and all hell breaks lose.

Political vendetta, they scream as their Party men accuse the Modi-led Government of trying to eliminate the Congress and an assault on democratic functioning while the oblivious company shareholders cry foul. It’s another matter that in the ensuing maelstrom the Congress is trying to obfuscate facts.

In 1938 Nehru, PN Tandon, KN Katju, KD Poliwal and three others found Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to publish the National Herald newspaper. Over the years the company accumulates prime lands and wealth of over Rs 2000-4000 crores. In 2000 AJL goes into heavy losses saddled with an Rs 90crores debt. The paper is shut down in 2008.

In 2011 another company Young Indian Ltd (YIL) is formed with Sonia and Rahul owning 38% shares each and Oscar Fernandes, Motilal Vora, Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey the balance. The National Herald decides to sell the AJL to YIL for Rs 50 lakhs which then acquires the Congress loan of Rs 90 crores to AJL. Later, Sonia tells the Party that the National Herald paper has done yeoman service to the country so the Congress should write off the debt.

Now the warp in the tale. The YIL directors Sonia, Rahul, Fernandes and Vora tell AJL Chairman Vora to sell the company to YIL. To clear the Rs 90 crores debt, again YIL directors Sonia, Rahul and Vora ask the Congress for monies. So Party President Sonia calls meeting attended by VP Rahul, General Secretary Fernandes and Treasurer Vora.  Congress Treasurer Vora gives Rs 90 crores loan to YIL director Vora who gives it to AJL director Vora.

This is not all. Next day the Congress calls another meeting attended by Sonia, Rahul, Fernandes and Vora who decide to write off the loan. Thus, Sonia and Rahul’s YIL acquires prime properties worth crores in Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Mumbai, Indore, Patna, Panchkula etc including an 11 storey building in the Capital rented out to the passport office and others.

What is the similarity between Silver and Sonia, one may wonder? Everything. Both share a cavalier attitude thanks to the power’s they wield, with the devil taking the hindmost. Both have legislators and cahoots firmly under their thumbs. They could advance or kill legislation with a nod and get their minions to do and vote as they are told, for fear of being demoted or denied tickets.

Undeniably, the Congress blockade of Rajya Sabha is only about providing covering fire to deflect the spotlight away from Sonia and Rahul’s dubious real estate activities, no matter its loud procrastinations that the disruptions are about BJP’s two Chief Ministers Madhya Pradesh’s and Rajasthan’s ghotalas.

Clearly exposing its vulnerability whereby the public will view the shenanigans as evidence that the Gandhi’s and Congress have something to hide. Think. Swamy filed the case in his individual capacity three years ago when the Congress-led UPA government was in power. The case progressed at a snail’s pace till the High Court lifted its stay on Sonia-Rahul appearance in court.

Two, even as some senior Party leaders concede that the crisis last fortnight has dragged it to new depths. Already there are signs that the internal strife will only worsen in the weeks to come. Not many seem to be on the same page as Rahul who seems to be calling the shots.

Three, Congress allies and other Opposition leaders who joined hands to take on the Saffron brigade will begin to wonder whether they have to play ball just to protect the Gandhis, and the price they would pay for it later.

There is no gainsaying, the non-Congress Parties might tire of the Party’s antics which is all about protecting and saving the First Family. Also, protracted commotion in Parliament might benefit the BJP specially against the backdrop of some Assembly elections due again in a few months.

Besides, Sonia-Rahul have only themselves to blame for their current troubles but it is the Congress which is taking a beating. The divisions within the Party have intensified, despite their public proclamations Congressmen are in despair

Clearly, the timing of the High Court’s order could not have been worse for the Grand Old Party. That too, at a time when it is faced with a serious existential crisis. Routed in last general elections reduced to a miniscule 44 MPs followed by drubbings in subsequent polls in Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Bihar.

Further, Rahul is frantically working to make his mark felt as a leader both within and outside the Congress. Indeed, the court proceedings might delay his long-awaited anointment as the Party’s numero uno.

For a Party which is used to being run in the name of the leader, the experience of gunning for its Chief is a totally new one. Going by current indications, there is little hope of the Congress recovering in the near future Moreover, the negative perception would cause serious dent in the halo around the Gandhi family, perhaps the only thing left for it after a sharp decline in popularity.

Conventional political wisdom says that when things go wrong the way they have for the Congress two leaders they have two options: One, gracefully appear before the court or approach the Supreme Court for relief. But by steadfastly crying foul Sonia-Rahul have only whetted the appetite of their detractors for a showdown.

This apart, at another level the Congress might have managed to paint its President and VP as being victimized among its staunch supporters. How successful the BJP shakes off the impression of hounding the Gandhis’ will depend on its Government’s capacity to distance itself from the case. For that it has to keep its Ministers and cadres in check as the Congress has everything to gain in nurturing the picture of a vengeful Government.

Ultimately, the law will take its own course. It remains to be seen if Sonia-Rahul can find an exit route of their self-created legal ‘Chakravyuh’. Alongside, how long will the Party’s obedient rank and file continue to stand by their undaatas or will better sense prevail.  For that the Congress has to answer one simple question: A Gandhi-mukt Congress or a Congress-mukt Bharat. What gives? ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)