[rti4empowerment] SECOND WAR FOR FREEDOM FROM CORRUPTION

SECOND WAR FOR FREEDOM FROM CORRUPTION

 

M. K. Gupta, Free Lance Journalist

 

Now, it is clear that the team Anna is being targetted by the corrupts ganged up against the campaign against corruption.  First a CD against Shanti Bhushan, member of Drafting Committee on Lokpal Bill surfaced and the different forensic labs have given contradictory reports about its authenticity. Also, irregularities was alleged in the allotment of plot to Bhushans but nothing concrete was proved.

 

2.     I do not know if the practice of Mrs. Kiran Bedi technically comes under corruption or not but her intention was clear and she has not got any personal benefit out of the full fare taken by her.  Earlier, the doubts were raised about indulging by her in malpractice for the admission of her daughter in an Eastern State but nothing concrete came against her. The organizations which invited her and gave the AIR FARE have not objected or said that they were unaware of the fact that she is getting concession on fare because of getting gallantry award.  If she would not be getting the concession, these organizations will be giving the full fare too to her and therefore they have not to take some extra burden.  It is learnt that Kiran has no where certified that it is reimbursement or actual expenses are being claimed.  All the transaction took place through cheques and not in cash. Arvind Kejriwal has already said in Meerut yesterday that if the Team Anna is corrupt, the quantum of punishment for them should be double but a strong Lok Pal bill must be passed.  What more one may want?  Some members including Mrs. Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were issued breach of Parliament notice earlier but later on the matter was bruised aside.  Swami Aginvesh was caught talking to some Kapil and the charge is that he was talking to Kapil Sibbal against the movement.  People suspect that he was a mole in the movement.

 

3.       If Kiran Bedi or Arvind are greedy for money, they must have sticked to their lucrative and plum posts where they were enjoying good pay, perks and authority.  Both of them are Megasaysay award winners.  Moreover, if Kiran Bedi is really, really corrupt, she had enough opportunity to mint money as IPS but she left protesting against her supersession and Arvind resigned for working on RTI Act and to serve the nation.

4.     Now, corrupts outside and inside the govt. are ganging up against the campaigners against corruption. Unrelated to this statement, First, Mr. Manish Tiwari, Congress spokesman alleged that Anna Hazare has spent 2.2 lakh on his birthday from his Trust and that Anna is corrupt from head to toe.  Tiwari had to apologize /regret later for his statement in the face of public wrath and defamation notice.  After that a case of corruption involving corruption to the tune of some crores against Anna has been filed in Supreme Court but on whose behest and the Court had issued notice to him.  In the start, it was alleged that Anna has been misled and being used by the team Anna to which Anna said that his grey hairs are not due to the Sun (meaning thereby that he has experience of life).   When Anna wrote to PM demanding Ramlila ground for fast, he was advised by the PM to approach the local authorities.  On the Independent day speech, PM was in no mood to give any lee way to Anna but later, the same P.M. sent a letter to him saying that the govt. is not only serious on Lokpal Bill but also is serious on election reforms and other demands too.  If I write every development, the story will be too lengthy to read.

 

5.                 After that a charge has been raised that Anna is a captive of his team. The Govt. initially did not release audio tapes of the Jan Lok Pal Draft Committee.   Anna was sent to Tihar after taking into custody/ arrest from Mayur Vihar in wee hours but when this action boomeranged, he was tried to be removed to the Hospital twice, once from Tihar Jail and again from the Ramlila ground at night.  The govt. failed due to the continuous vigil and support of the public gathered and failed to take Baba Ramdev type operation at midnight. The Congress M.P., Rashid Alvi alleged that US was behind his movement but had to beat a hasty retreat.  Digvijay Singh or Diggi Raja, Congress General Secretary was and is on the forefront of alleging that the RSS and BJP are behind his movement.  But the fact is that not only RSS and BJP, the whole nation, except hard core Congressmen, are behind the movement but not running it. Even the Congressmen were present at Ramlila ground.  Goons tried to defame Anna's supporters by resorting to vandalism wearing Anna caps and shirts at night and the patrons of these goons is still a mystery.  The Police had rightly taken action against such goons.  The movement was so peaceful that even the police was on duty without baton, see the police's confidence in Anna's supporters and fighter against corruption.

 

6.       IT demanded Rs. 2-3 lakhs from Arvind Kejiwal for leaving service before the bond expiry of bond period.  Then, he was tried to hit by a slipper by a person named Jitendra Pathak in Lucknow.  There was charges that in the past, he belonged to Congress Seva Dal. Now, IT department has raised his demand to Rs. 9 lakh.  Though, I oppose the views of Prashant Bhushan on Kashmir but attack on him was also condemning. After that, Anna supporters were targetted before the Patiala House Court and the police there was a mute spectator saying that they are on duty inside the Court and not outside it.  It is the duty of even the common men to take action against such thing if he is present there and I am amazed at the plea of the police.

 

7.       Of late, Kumar Viswas, another active member, poet and stage organizer at Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Ground when Anna was on fast has been served notice by his college at Sahibabad. I am sure that the spies of corrupt must be out to find fault with Manish Sisodia too.  Three of Anna supporters have been humiliated in Delhi when they came to meet Rahul Gandhi from Ralegaon Siddhi and it was claimed that they came un-invited while they said of coming on invitation.  It is being alleged that two of Anna supporters, Mr. Rajender Singh and other has left him on the instigation of others.

8.       Baba Ramdev sat on fast also at the same Ramlila ground and he claimed that govt. wanted to finish him at night at Ramlila ground.  He had to rescue himself in the ladies attire but later, many charges against his Trusts have been raised and notices issued.  Acharya Balakrishna, number two of his campaign, was alleged to have submitted the forged documents for the issue of his passport but so far, nothing has proved.   Raja Bala has was allegedly suffered injuries in the Lathi charge, her post mortem report was not immediately given.  Probably the post mortem report has not been given so far and a case on the action taken by the Police at Ramlila ground is pending in the Hon'ble Supreme Court. 

 

9.                 The Govt broadcaster All India Radio has broadcasted one sided story of this episode in its morning news at 8.15 a.m. on 5^th June is given below.  The Prasar Bharati claims to be the 'Awaz Bharat ki' but at critical juncture, it works as 'Awaz Sarkar ki'. Its news bulletin ran as:

 

"Police dispersed the people gathered at Baba Ramdev's rally at Ramlila ground in the National Capital. Earlier, police cancelled the permission to the Yoga Guru for holding a yoga camp at the venue to maintain public order and said that the permission was only for having yoga classes. A police spokesman said, when Baba Ramdev refused to comply with the order of revoking permission, police had to swing into action in the wee hours today. He further said that Mr. Ramdev is safe. Earlier in the day government had sent an explanatory note to the Yoga Guru on the demands made by him including the framing up of a law for declaring black money stashed in foreign banks as national asset. The government maintained with this note all demands of Baba Ramdev have been met with and all his doubts clarified".

 

Though this story has stated that the Police spokesman said and in reply to an RTI application, AIR told that the spokesman was "CP-Delhi, Shri Gupta".  In contradiction to this, Delhi Police said that this does not pertain to it implying that CP has not said so.

 

10.     Due to the assertive judiciary, efforts to save A. Raja, Suresh Kalmadi, Amar Singh, Kanimozi, Yeduyurappa, Hasan Ali and other have failed and now they are behind the bars fight for the bails.  P. Chidambaram and Dayanidhi Maran are also under the scanner of judiciary.

 

11.     I appeal not to be misguided and misled because if the present opportunity is lost, God knows if we will see such uprising against corruption again in our lifetime.  Let us take a lesson from the revolution take took place after the emergency was over or from the movement of V.P. Singh against corruption which was alleged in the purchase of Bofors guns.  When some one utter word 'corruption", why it hurts only to the leaders and follower of a political party and understand that there is no need to mention the name of that party as everybody knows it.