Saga of Indian Corruption: After High Drama, Criminal Ordinance Withdrawn!

Corruption rules the roost in India at all levels in India because the state supports and promotes while judiciary simply tolerates the nonsense called corruption for unknown reasons.

Corruption in India, therefore, is not a sin- it is boon. So, about 30 percent of lawmakers across federal and state assemblies have criminal charges against them.  People continue to trust them.

A controversial ordinance to save convicted lawmakers from disqualification appeared set to be passed by the parliament. The ordinance was passed by the cabinet based on the decision of the all-party meeting and was sent to the president for his assent. The government on 02 October decided to withdraw a controversial ordinance that shielded convicted parliamentarians.

The ordinance was last week described by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as "nonsense." Rahul Gandhi  rubbished the ordinance, saying that it was "complete nonsense" and should be "torn up and thrown away". The remark created a political storm, with the BJP demanding that the prime minister should step down. The reversal of policy was cleared at a Cabinet meeting subsequently chaired by the Prime Minister, who met Rahul before meeting.  All Cabinet ministers at the meeting unanimously supported the withdrawal of the ordinance.

Obviously, pressured by coalition parties with corrupt leaders, the UPA regime led by Manmohan Singh issued an executive order last week that could allow convicted lawmakers to continue to hold office and stand in elections, prompting intense criticism from the main opposition party and activists.

Indian president, Pranab Mukherji himself a Congress party stalwart, also sought a clarification on the government ordinance that he would have to sign into law. Several senior ministers of the government including finance, home and defense ministers had defended the ordinance. The ordinance passed by the cabinet Sep 24 was with the president, who left on a week-long trip to Turkey and Belgium..

Before July's Supreme Court order, convicted lawmakers took advantage of a loophole by filing appeals within three months of a guilty verdict to stay in office. The row comes at a time when Congress party appears to be ceding ground to the Narendra Modi-led right wing opposition Bharatiya Janta Party, who is using corruption scandals and economic mismanagement by Singh's government to garner public support for his own prime ministerial bid.

Following a Supreme Court order in July, many lawmakers, including Congress party allies, faced the prospect of losing their seats. The ruling alliance had already moved a parliamentary bill to partially reverse the decision of the court that any lawmaker found guilty of a crime could no longer hold or run for elected office.

Hectic parleys over the ordinance started with Rahul Gandhi, who trashed the ordinance, meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh early in the day. Hours later, the Congress core group, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, the prime minister and other senior leaders, who had earlier cleared the ordinance, discussed its likely withdrawal. Shortly thereafter, the prime minister met President Pranab Mukherjee and briefed him on the deliberations at the core group.

Sensing that the Congress would score politically for withdrawing the ordinance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the prime minister should step down. The prime minister should resign," said BJP's Venkaiah Naidu. Manmohan Singh said he would not quit over the perceived undermining of his authority and that of his cabinet by Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress accused the BJP of doublespeak, saying the opposition party had during the all-party meeting supported the ordinance but changed stand after Rahul Gandhi raised the issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said: "It is unfortunate that ever since Rahul Gandhi raised the matter, the BJP has taken a different stand. This is the old style of BJP's functioning to say one thing in the public and another in private." Flashing a copy of the minutes of the meeting, Kamal Nath said: "It is unfortunate that ever since Rahul Gandhi raised the matter, the BJP has taken a different stand. This is the old style of BJP's functioning to say one thing in the public and another in private." Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Rajya Sabha member and senior SP leader Naresh Agarwal said if the ordinance is withdrawn, it will prove that the Gandhi scion is bigger than the government of India. Samajwadi Party (SP), which supports the UPA from outside, opposed withdrawal of the ordinance.

Critics rightly said the order was aimed at shielding allies that Congress party may need to form a ruling coalition after elections due by next May. By pushing that change through in an executive order, opposition parties said it appeared to be trying to bypass parliament to save the political skin of its allies.

Rajiv Gandhi's Veto

Congress leader and the premier in waiting, Rahul Gandhi has shown that he is the man in charge of the party and government. He had the guts to slam the government measure as "complete nonsense". His defiance of the government decision was seen as an attempt to distance himself from an administration that has been dogged for years by corruption scandals, which have stalled legislation and hindered efforts to revive Asia's third-largest economy.

The 43-year-old Congress vice-president's veto worked and silenced one and all. Gandhi, a scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty and contender for prime minister if the Congress party-led alliance wins a third straight term, made a dramatic appearance at a news conference at Delhi Press Club last week to lambast the ordinance and suggested it to be "torn up and thrown out". His outburst has also brought out into open the differences within his party between young leaders and the old guard. Consequently, India's Congress-led UPA government withdrew a decree which would have allowed convicted politicians to run for elections while appeals were pending, demonstrating the authority of party leader Rahul Gandhi.