Congress vs Supreme Court

The Supreme Court aptly called the CBI a 'caged parrot' mouthing its masters' voice. A truer statement was never made. Truth is bitter, especially to the Congress party's spokespersons. Digvijaya Singh, the ponderous comedian, has ridiculed the Supreme Court for what he calls disempowerment / belittlement of institutions like the CBI.

All institutions in India have been systematically weakened by the Congress party. The Supreme Court occasionally raises its lawful voice. The blustering baboons of the Congress immediately try to browbeat the Court. Congress party has a pathological intolerance for sane advice. It only believes in bullying the institutions. Everyone knows how it has belittled the CVC, CBI etc. It is happy only in the company of lackeys like the Chairperson of the Press Council of India. The loudmouth is silent on the shameful deeds of Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.

The 'honourable' prime minister brought two of his close friends into his cabinet. These two have made dishonourable exit from the ministry. Yet the prime minister carries on business as usual. Power corrupts. Nine years of power corrupts absolutely.

Failed State: Pakistan or India?

We are fond of saying that our 'distant neighbour' Pakistan, unlike us, is a failed state. One now wonders which is really the failed State.

Supreme Court of Pakistan unseated a corrupt prime minister and disenfranchised a former dictator President. It even ordered enquiries against the current President.

Did the Indian Supreme Court ever hold the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi unlawful? Indians voted against the dictator not because of her unconstitutional ways but because of excesses in family planning.

Imran Khan despite his razzmatazz is not elected to power. He would have been more successful in India. His tie-up with the Taliban was thumbed down by voters in Pakistan.

It appears that there are more checks and balances in Pakistan than in India. A corrupt political party, PPP was voted out of power in Pakistan. One is not sure what will happen in India. If all parties are corrupt, which one do you vote in?

Does Indian President ever question the prime minister whatever be the ministerial shenanigans?

Will the PM resign?

Ashwani Kumar who misused his non-existing authority to safeguard the non-existing reputation of the prime minister has resigned. A good leader does not hold his team member accountable for an act which is done either at the leader's behest or to save the leader. But then, why assume that Singh is a good leader?

Singh will not resign unless Soniaji orders him. Soniaji will do that only if Singh's continuance is against her interest. This is not likely as of now.

What is the responsibility of the President of India at the present juncture? Is he not abdicating his constitutional duty if he does not even speak to the prime minister on multiple misdemeanours of several cabinet members? This is the time for him to prove that he is above politics and that nation's interests are uppermost in his mind.

Ashwani Kumar's credibility

Ashwani Kumar, India's Law Minister (no less) thinks truth is a relative phenomenon and that one person's untruth may be another's truth.

Did he materially alter CBI's report (meant for submission to the Supreme Court) on coalgate? Initially he said he had only seen the report. Next came the disclosure that he had made grammatical changes. CBI in its affidavit to the Supreme Court asserted he had suggested changes which were incorporated. The Supreme Court observed that he had unauthorisedly asked the CBI to alter some parts of the report and accordingly the 'heart' of the report got modified. Honourable Kumar continues in the cabinet as if he has not done anything wrong.

Today he visited the prime minister's office. If the media had asked what he discussed with his mutual well-wisher, the response would have been like this:

1) I only went to his office. I did not meet him.

2) I met him, but did not talk to him.

3) I spoke to him, but did not discuss coalgate.

4) I spoke to him, but he could not listen to me.

5) I told him so many things, but he did not respond. (Singh's non-responsiveness goes without saying.)

After 30 minutes of intensive questioning, media would give up.

Underhand dealers and lotus-eaters

Karnataka has thrown up the expected results. BJP has paid the price for bungling, infighting, tolerating corruption and unjustified complacency. The Congress party has taken legitimate advantage of BJP's misadventures. It remains to be seen if Congress would have learnt a lesson from BJP's debacle and would ensure good governance.

The Supreme Court has expressed its displeasure over gross political pressures on CBI and CBI's weak knees. CBI and PMO have been castigated in no uncertain terms. Yet, "the personification of good governance" deems it fit to hang on to power and carry on as if nothing has happened. Singh's terms have been a blot on prime ministership.

Feline prime minister

Manmohan Singh is often caricatured as a cat. He has now actually deveoped some qualities of a cat.

When a cat closes its eyes, it thinks that the world cannot see what it is upto. Singh believes that if he turns a blind eye to his ministers' misdeeds, so would the public!

A strange report is doing the rounds that even Sonia Gandhi wants the Law and Railway ministers to resign but the prime minister is resisting. If true, this is a real twist in the tale. Does Gandhi feel that Singh has outlived his utility for her designs?

Singh of yesteryears was supposed to be one preferring death to sullied image. Has he changed? Or are we seeing his true colours only now? The judgement day is not far away. 

Blunders galore

Manmohan Singh time and again proves his ability to commit repetitive blunders either by himself or through his associates. He seems to have set himself  a quantitative target on the number of misdemeanours and until he achieves that he will remain as prime minister.

Ashwani Kumar may be isolated even within the rowdy cabinet, but the prime minister supports him totally. China has set up base deep within the Indian territory, but so what? Salman Khurshid calls it a localised issue. He is an expert in thinking globally and (non-)acting locally. He has discovered that the Ladakh issue is different from Kargil because we have not lost any soldier in the current episode. His message to China and Pakistan is crystal clear. "You are welcome to intrude our territory as long as you don't inflict any human casuality." Pacifism at its best! Our Foreign Minister is a candidate for Nobel Peace Prize. Ever-supportive Singh will not ask Khurshid why he is not cancelling his trip to China.

Our future ministers will be at a terrible disadvantage. They cannot commit any inappropriate act which has not been done by the present august council of ministers. In addition, they may not have such a supportive leader.