Are BSNL Employees Traitors?
“First, declare the dog as mad. Then kill it,” is the strategy that the Centre has been adopting to kill human beings if the situation warrants. Attaching the labels of “anti-national, terrorist, or extremist” gives the police the license to kill anyone. Those who are genuinely concerned about this are forced to refrain themselves from condemning such incidents fearing that they might also get labelled as anti-nationals. Recently, a BJP Member of Parliament, Anantkumar Hegde, called employees of the state-owned telecom firm BSNL as ‘traitors.’ “BSNL is full of traitors. This organization is a disgrace to the country. BSNL has not been able to provide efficient services. We are going to finish it off. In the coming days, private organizations would replace BSNL. We are removing 85,000 employees and many more people would be sent home,” Hegde said this as though this was an ‘achievement.’ To defend the decision to ‘finish off’ a central public sector organization, its employees have been called as ‘traitors.’ The MP has thus unofficially announced that the ‘anti-national BSNL’ would be sacrificed in a ‘fake encounter’ that would take place soon and has defended the decision to render people jobless and send them home as an act to ‘punish the anti-nationals.’ But, he seems to have forgotten that through this, he has called his own government as ‘anti-national.’
Who is actually responsible for destroying the BSNL? Are only the employees responsible for this? The BSNL is owned by the Government of India. Those who run the organization are responsible for its failures, and not the employees alone. As the employees of the organization are a part of the government, isn’t the government also guilty for grooming the ‘traitors’? At present, besides the BSNL, the government is contemplating handing over several government organizations to the private sector. Can it then be inferred that Hegde is trying to defend these moves by calling the employees of all these organizations ‘anti-nationals or traitors’? Or is he calling his own government ‘anti-national’ for destroying government organizations and handing them over to the private sector? The ‘Patriotic MP’ must answer all these questions.
The tragic story of BSNL started with the economic liberalization and privatization in the 90s. When mobile phones made an entry into India, the government adopted a step-motherly attitude towards the Indian telecommunication industry. The public sector BSNL had ample strength to compete with the private sector in the mobile telephone sector as it had already expanded its service base to rural India. Unlike the BSNL, the private sector was yet to even own basic infrastructure. If the Government had used these facilities and built mobile towers, BSNL would have retained its position as India’s only telecom service provider. Unfortunately, this did not happen, and the employees are not responsible for this. The government did not allow the BSNL to compete with the private sector. The BSNL entered the mobile telephone sector five years after foreign companies and private companies established their roots. An explanation to the allegations of the MP that mobile networks are not available can also be found here. In fact, the allegations that the MP is levelling against BSNL employees can be made against other government employees as well. BSNL employees cannot be held responsible for network unavailability. Why is the BSNL not yet providing 4G services? Who is stopping the BSNL from offering the latest services – is it the staff or the government? Without providing any facilities or opportunities for the BSNL to compete with the private sector, how appropriate is it to blame employees?
The main reason for the downfall of BSNL that has to its credit more than 50,000 mobile towers and Rs 89,000 crore worth property is the support provided by the government to a few corporate companies. Realizing that BSNL was on the path of loss making due to the government’s policies, many senior BSNL officials deserted the sinking ship and moved to private companies. In this manner, private companies protected their interests through BSNL. Five years ago, when Reliance Company through its Jio brand offered several popular schemes, it used as its brand ambassador, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph. The Prime Minister’s role in converting BSNL into a loss-making venture is huge in terms of the failure to lift BSNL’s sagging fortunes and at the same time, providing all facilities to Jio and allowing the company to use his photograph. Hegde who has called BSNL employees anti-national should not forget this. Most importantly, not only BSNL, the government is making preparations to hand over several important government organizations including many profit-making ventures to the private sector. How did Reliance Company that has no experience in the defence sector become a part of the Rafael deal instead of the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)? The HAL which is the pride of India is getting ruined because of the Centre’s policies. HAL employees are not getting even their salaries regularly. Will the government term employees of even this organization ‘anti-nationals or traitors’ and kill the organization through a ‘fake encounter’? Hegde should answer these questions.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
