It’s now the turn of Maharashtra to get embroiled in ‘vendetta politics’. With the Devendra Fadnavis government going full steam to clean up the system and clamp down on political corruption, the Opposition is crying hoarse. The Governor C Vidyasagar Rao’s nod giving the CBI the go ahead to prosecute former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam has the Congress screaming ‘political vendetta’ and accusing Fadnavis of pressurising the investigating agency to implicate him. In fact, the Congress questions the State Cabinet’s recommendation to Rao to give the go-ahead to the CBI, when the previous Governor had turned down the same. Add to this, it’s alliance partner, the NCP’s charge of ‘gross abuse of power’ to settle political scores by the BJP-led Government following the arrest of its former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Then again, the Government has sent show-cause notices to 44 politicians, mainly heavyweights of the NCP and Congress, barring them from contesting polls to co-operative bank boards for 10 years after it amended the Maharashtra Co-operatives Act, 1966, and dissolved the boards of several loss-making co-operative banks, following RBI guidelines. While those in power justify the move as a drive to clean up the co-operative banking sector and deny any kind of ‘political motive’, the Opposition sees it as trying to clip its political influence. The amended Act is considered a huge setback for most politicians, who depend on their control over co-operatives— banks or sugar mills — to dominate rural politics. Some of the aggrieved are contemplating challenging the ordinance. Be that as it may, anti-corruption steps in the State would be more than welcome, whether political vendetta or not. However, Fadnavis will do well to look within his Government as well.
Bengaluru’s Shame
Bengaluru, known as the country’s IT capital, has caused much embarrassment to South Block. The shameful incident of a Tanzanian student being allegedly stripped and forced to walk “without her top” by a mob has had the High Commission lodge its protest with the Ministry of External Affairs. It was reported that a Sudanese student’s car hit a local resident, who died and later that Sunday night an infuriated mob set his as well as the Tanzanian student’s car on fire in north Bengaluru, where a number of African students live. While Chief Minister Siddaramiah has informed Sushma Swaraj that five locals have been arrested, the State needs to do a lot more. For only a few months ago, locals in another locality in north Benguluru had beaten four students from Ivory Coast following complaints of late night parties. Growing signs of ‘racism’? Difficult to deny as in the past South Block has had to deal with diplomats from African countries expressing concern over the safety of their students.
Delhi Stinks
Delhi literally stinks! A fact lakhs of residents barring spoilt New Delhi are waking up to. With over 1.5 lakh municipal corporation employees, including sanitation workers, on strike for over four days, heaps of garbage has been left unattended in north, east and south Delhi. This apart, doctors and paramedical staff and teaches have joined the strike in hospitals and schools run by the civic bodies adding to the woes of sick patients and students. The crisis has been triggered by Chief Minister Kejriwal now getting into a big fight with the three BJP-run municipal corporations. While the Mayors are claiming there are no funds to disburse salaries and the Delhi government do so immediately, the latter is accusing the BJP of instigating the strike and the civic bodies of fudging accounts, which merits a CBI inquiry. Unfortunately, in this blame game, unlike the famous Kejriwal-Lt Governor Jung fight, the poor citizens are badly caught. Time Kejriwal stop being the warrior and give what he promised — ‘clean’ good governance.
Mahagatbandhan In UP?
Uttar Pradesh is abuzz with talk of a Bihar-like Mahagatbandhan (Grand alliance) in the making. Though Assembly elections are way off in 2017, political parties are already busy working out their maths to keep ‘communal’ BJP from doing a repeat of the Lok Sabha elections. In fact, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seems to have swung into action with a luncheon meeting with RLD chief Ajit Singh. Other than smaller parties like Apna Dal and Peace Party, the JD(U) is hopeful that the Congress, which is down and out, will join the bandwagon as it did in Bihar for a ‘secular front’. Though the anti-incumbency factor weighs heavily against ruling SP, and the BSP too has spoken of going it alone, the JD(U) is hopeful of either joining the united front. As for the BJP, it keeps its hopes on President Amit Shah doing a double whammy in UP. Will he be able to ride with the tide and is the grand alliance inevitable in UP? The run-up to the polls promises a year-long excitement indeed.
Now AP’s Reservation Stir
Andhra Pradesh is the latest State to be caught in the cross fires of the reservation bug. Taking a cue from Hardik Patel agitation in Gujarat, the Kapu community in this southern State seeks to shake the State administration out of its inertia of not heeding to their long-pending demand for reservation under the Backward Caste category. The agitators turned violent in East Godavari –blocked the national highway, set the Ratnachal Express on fire, ransacked railway station and targeted police personnel etc. The community has accused the ruling TDP, regarded as a party of the Kammas, of not honouring a government order of 1993 for their inclusion in the Backward castes and reneging on its promise made in 2014 to reserve some State government jobs. Though Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu says his government is committed for reservation and a Judicial Commission constituted, wonder for how long the fire will be doused?
Sikkim On Rail Track
Sikkim, the country’s first organic State, can finally heave a sigh of relief. It will eventually have a railway line. The Himalayan State will thus no longer be dependent on ‘national highway 10, a switchback of steep, landslide-prone rocky slopes that remains closed for days during the monsoon.’ The wait has been agonisingly long, since 2009, as the ambitious Rs 1,339.48 crore project ran into trouble with wildlife activists and environmentalists. They argued the tracks would pass through Mahananda sanctuary and forest divisions of Kurseong, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and East Sikkim, known for rich wildlife diversity. However, the Supreme Court showed the green flag to the litigation-marred railway line from Sevoke in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim and has asked the Railways to strictly adhere to environmental safeguards as fixed by national wildlife board. Importantly, after the project is completed the train will run through 14 tunnels or cross 22 bridges for most of its journey, perhaps setting another track record. —INFA