RAISINA HILL (DECEMBER)

Amitabh Shukla

Diary from the seat of power

Digvijay Singh

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh is in the eye of storm again after his controversial statements on Hemant Karkare, the chief of ATS in Mumbai. He had created a flutter by stating that slain Maharashtra ATS chief Karkare was under threat from right-wing groups, insisting that he had spoken to the police officer a few hours before the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

"I am trying to get the records and I am sure those who are saying that I did not talk to Karkare would be proved wrong," he said, despite the BJP going in for a no holes barred criticism of Singh. Even the Congress disassociated itself with the remarks of Singh with party’s media department chief Janardan Dwivedi saying that the issue was a talk between two individuals.

Digvijay's remarks came following a media report which said that call records of Karkare's cell phone showed that he had neither called nor received a call from the Congress general secretary during that period. "I am absolutely firm on this. I did speak to Karkare and I have stated that already," Digvijay said in Guwahati.

Not only the BJP, even the wife of the police officer rubbished Digvijay’s claim even though the Congress General Secretary maintains that he indeed talked to Karkare. As Karkare is no more there to verify the facts, the buzz is that Digvijay’s statement has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Congress Reshuffle

There is talk that there could be a large scale reshuffle in the Congress in the work allocation of the General Secretaries following the plenary of the party in New Delhi. However, party President Sonia Gandhi’s decision to hand over the charge of Assam to general secretary Digvijay Singh from Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily is being interpreted in party circles as an indication that the controversial leader would continue to play an important role post reshuffle. Gandhi will reconstitute the Congress Working Committee and appoint new general secretaries after the plenary session of the AICC.

Chidambaram

Union home minister P Chidambaram came under scathing criticism by the opposition for blaming the spate of crimes in Delhi due to migrant population. Stroking controversy, Chidambaram said, "I condemn the heinous crime of rape. Migrants are behind such crimes in the capital."

He said crime takes place because Delhi attracts a large number of migrants. Chidambaram’s ministry is responsible for maintaining law and order in the sprawling city of 14 million people. "There are a large number of unauthorised colonies and these migrants who settle in unauthorised colonies carry a kind of behaviour that is unacceptable in any modern city, so crimes do take place," he told reporters in New Delhi. He was reacting after an 18-year-old girl was gang raped in a moving car. A few days ago, another girl from North East was raped in the city.

The Opposition RJD and Samajwadi Party slammed Chidambaram for his remark. BJP leader Kirti Azad also criticized Chidambaram and said that Congress government has been trying to hide its failure and mistakes by blaming migrants. Chidambaram himself was quick to retract his statement but the damage was already done. A few years ago, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit too had made comments that the migrants were behind the civic woes of the city. She had to eat a humble pie as the Congress high command came cracking.

Gag Order

The gag order of Congress leadership has become a joke in the party circles with leaders awaiting the first politician who breaks the order issued by Janardan Dwivedi, chief of the media department of the party. General secretary Digvijay Singh merrily violated the order and went around talking about his conversation with slain Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare hours before his killing, about the 2G spectrum scam, possibility of mid-term polls, etc. Anil Shastri, editor of the party mouthpiece “Congress Sandesh” tweeted about Meera Shankar’s pat-down search in Mississippi and asking the government of India to take up her humiliation more strongly. Then it was J&K PCC chief Saifuddin Soz, who questioned Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh’s mandate to talk in Cancun about the acceptance of a legally binding commitment to cut emissions. UP Congress leader Jagdambika Pal followed suit violating the order and so did Law Minister M Veerappa Moily. “I do not understand why such gag orders are issued in the first place when they are complied more in breach,” said a senior party leader on the latest order and its fallout.

Parliament standoff

The standoff between the government and Opposition over the 2G spectrum scam has resulted in the wastage of over Rs 146 crore as the entire Winter session of Parliament was virtually washed out. The Winter Session began on November 9 and since a day after it, the entire Opposition has been hell-bent on demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into 2G spectrum allocation, which is believed to have resulted in losses to the tune of Rs 1.74 lakh crore. The government however, refused to yield to the demand, leading to a deadlock because of which Parliament was unable to function for more than 10 minutes per day on an average. On an average, the government spends Rs 6.35 crore per day to run the Parliament. As the Winter session has been adjourned sine die, the 23rd consecutive working day also ended without transaction of any business. This makes it clear that Rs 146.05 crore were spent without Parliament transacting any substantive business like Question Hour, debates and other legislative business.

(7.12.2010)